title: Abscopal effects of radiation therapy: a clinical review for the radiobiologist.
abstract: An "abscopal" effect occurs when localized irradiation perturbs the organism as a whole, with consequences that can be either beneficial or detrimental. Mechanistic explanations of this effect are challenging. From the oncologist's perspective, the term refers to distant tumor regression after localized irradiation. On the other hand, from a biologist's point of view, abscopal effects include induction of genomic instability, cell death, and oncogenic transformation in normal tissues. This conceptual dichotomy is explored in this review, with a focus on clinically documented cases of anti-tumor abscopal effects and abscopal effects in normal tissues. This review also outlines several suggested mechanisms for abscopal effects.
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Imaging, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: shankar.siva@petermac.org.
authors.forename: Shankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siva
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Imaging, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: MacManus
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Molecular Radiation Biology Laboratory, Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Roger F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Imaging, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Molecular Radiation Biology Laboratory, Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: olga.martin@petermac.org.
authors.forename: Olga A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D024201:Bystander Effect / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D042822:Genomic Instability / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Abscopal effects; Cytokines; Immune system; Normal tissue effects; Radiotherapy; Tumors