Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Radiation Therapy

Abdominal aortic aneurism (AAA) is a frequent disorder in older male adults; male to female ratio is approximately 10:3. AAA often causes significant morbidity and mortality if not resolved on time by early detection and timely performed endovascular or open surgical repair. The incidence of rupture with an AAA <7 cm diameter is < 5% per 1 year. This gives enough time to many patients for improvement of possible pre-existing medical conditions before elective repair. There is no evidence that radiation therapy causes aortic aneurysm. In contrast, there is a possibility that radiation slows the growth of AAA. The mechanism of this action is not known.