title: Radiation therapy: age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe irreversible vision loss in patients over the age of 50 years in the developed world. Neovascular AMD (NVAMD) is responsible for 90% of the cases with severe visual loss. In the last decade, the treatment paradigm for NVAMD has been transformed by the advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. Despite the excellent results of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, frequent injections remain a necessity for most patients. The burden of these frequent visits as well as the cumulative risks of indefinite intravitreal injections demand continued pursuit of more enduring therapy that provides similar functional results. Radiotherapy has been studied for two decades as a potential therapy for NVAMD. Because of its antiangiogenic properties, radiation therapy remains a promising potential adjunctive resource for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to NVAMD. This review considers the past, present and future of radiation as a treatment or combination treatment of NVAMD.
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Service, Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos A Medina
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.forename: Justis P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ehlers
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D006801:Humans; D061766:Proton Therapy; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D019233:Retreatment; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A