294. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2003 Jul;13(3):333-45.
Radiation-induced lung injury.
Marks LB(1), Yu X, Vujaskovic Z, Small W Jr, Folz R, Anscher MS.
Author information:
(1)Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
27710, USA. marks@radonc.duke.edu
Radiation therapy (RT) for thoracic-region tumors often causes lung injury. The
incidence of lung toxicity depends on the method of assessment (eg, radiographs,
patient's symptoms, or functional endpoints such as pulmonary function tests).
Three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning tools provide dosimetric predictors for
the risk of symptomatic RT-induced lung injury and allow for beams to be selected
to minimize these risks. A variety of cytokines have been implicated as
indicators/mediators of lung injury. Recent work suggests that injury-associated
tissue hypoxia perpetuates further injury. Sophisticated planning/delivery
methods, such as intensity modulation, plus radioprotectors such as amifostine,
hold promise to reduce the incidence of RT-induced lung injury.
PMID: 12903021 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]