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Review
. 2018 Jul 3;10(7):222.
doi: 10.3390/cancers10070222.

Radiation Pneumonitis: Old Problem, New Tricks

Varsha Jain  1 , Abigail T Berman  2
Affiliations
Review

Radiation Pneumonitis: Old Problem, New Tricks

Varsha Jain et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Radiation therapy is a major treatment modality for management of non-small cell lung cancer. Radiation pneumonitis is a dose limiting toxicity of radiotherapy, affecting its therapeutic ratio. This review presents patient and treatment related factors associated with the development of radiation pneumonitis. Research focusing on reducing the incidence of radiation pneumonitis by using information about lung ventilation, imaging-based biomarkers as well as normal tissue complication models is discussed. Recent advances in our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying lung injury has led to the development of several targeted interventions, which are also explored in this review.

Keywords: lung cancer; radiation pneumonitis; radiation therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative images of a double scatter proton (a) vs. Intensity modulated radiation therapy IMRT photon (b) plans for a patient with locally advanced lung cancer. Note the differences in dosimetry between the two plans.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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