title: Radiation-induced lung injury.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. marks@radonc.duke.edu
authors.forename: Lawrence B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zjelko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vujaskovic
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Folz
authors.forename: Mitchell S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Anscher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy