A noninvasive integrative method for analyzing radiation-induced lung injury.

摘要

The efficacy of radiation treatment for intrathoracic malignancy is limited by the development of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), which can cause radiation pneumonias and fibrosis in the lung parenchyma. Several factors influence the risk and severity of RILI, including the radiation dose, the fractionation, the volume of irradiated lung, and whether the patient has pre-existing lung disease or has received systemic agents or prior thoracic radiation. Radiation pneumonitis usually manifests 1-6 months after completion of radiation, and it may progress to irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Although radiographic changes sometime manifest with no accompanying symptoms, the classic triad includes dyspnea, cough, and fever, which respond to corticosteroid intervention.