The Effect of Occupational Radiation on Tumor Markers of Female Radiologists Working in Nuclear Medicine Departments

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Considering that the share of radiation exposure to nuclear medicine is about 12%, radiation exposure and the health of these people are very important. We aimed to investigate and respond to the concerns of these radiologists who receive higher doses than other Imaging departments. Given that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) tumor markers respond very well in the early stages of breast cancer, we assessed their effect along with hematological factors to monitor the health of women working in nuclear medicine in Shiraz. 40 women participated in this study. To increase accuracy, the control group was matched with the case group in terms of age, work experience, marital status, number of children, and history of breastfeeding. After completing the consent form, 5 ml of venous blood was taken from each of the volunteers and transferred to the laboratory for testing. No significant difference was observed between the two groups for tumor markers and hematological factors, although the mean frequency of CA15-3 tumor markers in the radiation group (22.50) was slightly higher than the control group (21.85). According to the results obtained from tumor markers, we found no significant difference between the two groups. Even lymphocytes that are among the most sensitive blood cells to radiation did not show sensitivity to radiation in the nuclear medicine departments, indicating the complexity of the effects of ionizing radiation on the body.