title: Abdominal and pelvic complications of nonoperative oncologic therapy.
abstract: Oncologic patients are treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Advances in therapeutic options have greatly improved the survival of patients with cancer. Examples of these advances are newer chemotherapeutic agents that target the cell receptors and advanced radiation therapy delivery systems. It is imperative that radiologists be aware of the variety of imaging findings seen after therapy in patients with cancer. Complications may occur with classic cytotoxic therapies (eg, 5-fluorouracil), usually at higher or prolonged doses or when administered to radiosensitive areas. Newer targeted systemic agents, such as bevacizumab and imatinib, have associated characteristic toxicities because their effects on cells do not depend on dose. Radiation may induce early and late effects in local normal tissues that may be seen at imaging. Imaging findings after chemotherapy include fatty liver, pseudocirrhosis, hepatic veno-occlusive disease, and splenic rupture. Complications of radiation therapy include large and small bowel strictures and radiation-induced hepatitis and tumors. Awareness of the various therapeutic options and knowledge of the spectrum of posttherapeutic complications allows radiologists to provide a comprehensive report that may impact patient management.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030 (C.V., M.T.T., T.L.S., R.V., M.P., P.M.S., P.R.B.) and Virtual Radiologic, Eden Prairie, MN (Y.B.).
authors.forename: Chitra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.forename: Mylene T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: Tara L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Sagebiel
authors.forename: Yulia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bronstein
authors.forename: Raghunandan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vikram
authors.forename: Madhavi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patnana
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: Priya R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Bhosale
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010388:Pelvis; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents