Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Radiation pneumonitis 

Radiation pneumonitis
Chapter:
Radiation pneumonitis
Author(s):

S. J. Bourke

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780198746690.003.0432
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 05 March 2021

The lungs can be injured by radiation used in the treatment of cancer, with the rapidly dividing endothelial cells and type II pneumocytes most affected. Immediate injury is followed by an inflammatory response and at a later stage by fibrosis. Chest radiography detects asymptomatic changes in about 50% of patients after radiotherapy. Acute radiation pneumonitis presents with cough, breathlessness, and fever about 2 months after exposure; corticosteroids are usually effective in relieving symptoms but do not prevent the subsequent development of fibrosis. Fibrosis typically develops about 6 months later, may progress for 6–24 months, but has usually stabilized by 2 years. Prevention depends on refining techniques for giving radiotherapy.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.