title: Surgical wound healing.
abstract: It is clear that the alterations in wound healing caused by irradiation and chemotherapy are due to reduced rates of collagen production, probably from adverse effects of irradiation and chemotherapy on fibroblasts. The effect is to slow the process of wound healing so much that there is significantly more time for a complication to occur. If no complication occurs in the first 3-4 weeks after wound production, healing seems to proceed reasonably normally. The specific mechanisms by which irradiation and chemotherapy cause their damage is not known and additional research is needed.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Oncology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Springfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012016:Reference Values; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents