Complications of thoracic radiation therapy

Changed by Andrew Murphy, 23 Mar 2023
Disclosures - updated 4 Sep 2022: Nothing to disclose

Updates to Article Attributes

Body was changed:

Complications of thoracic radiation therapy have significantly reduced since conventional radiotherapy has been largely replaced by modern conformational techniques. Even though, given the usually high radiation doses required for most thoracic cancers, some degree of collateral effects will be always present in the surrounding thoracic structures:

  • -<p><strong>Complications of thoracic radiation therapy</strong> have significantly reduced since <a href="/articles/conventional-radiation-therapy">conventional radiotherapy</a> has been largely replaced by modern <a href="/articles/radiation-therapy">conformational techniques</a>. Even though, given the usually high radiation doses required for most thoracic cancers, some degree of collateral effects will be always present in the surrounding thoracic structures:</p><ul>
  • -<li>lungs<ul>
  • -<li>
  • -<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-lung-disease-1">radiation-induced lung disease</a><ul>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/radiation-pneumonitis">radiation pneumonitis</a></li>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-pulmonary-fibrosis">radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis</a></li>
  • -</ul>
  • -</li>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-lung-cancer">radiation-induced lung cancer</a></li>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/brachytherapy-seed-migration-to-the-lung">brachytherapy seed migration to the lung</a></li>
  • -</ul>
  • -</li>
  • -<li>mediastinum<ul>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-heart-disease">radiation-induced heart disease</a></li>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/thymic-cyst">thymic cyst</a></li>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-oesophagitis">radiation-induced oesophagitis</a></li>
  • -</ul>
  • -</li>
  • -<li>soft tissues<ul>
  • -<li>
  • -<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-breast-changes">radiation-induced breast changes</a><ul><li><a title="Radiation-induced breast cancer" href="/articles/radiation-induced-breast-cancer">radiation-induced breast cancer</a></li></ul>
  • -</li>
  • -<li>
  • -<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-sarcoma">radiation-induced sarcomas</a> (in particular, <a href="/articles/malignant-fibrous-histiocytoma">malignant fibrous histiocytoma</a>)</li>
  • -</ul>
  • -</li>
  • -<li>bony thoracic cage<ul>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-mri-signal-changes-in-bone-marrow">radiation-induced bone marrow MRI signal changes</a></li>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/osteoradionecrosis">osteoradionecrosis</a></li>
  • -<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-rib-fracture-2">radiation-induced rib fracture</a></li>
  • -<li>
  • -<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-sarcoma">radiation-induced sarcomas</a> (in particular, <a href="/articles/osteosarcoma">osteosarcoma</a>)</li>
  • -</ul>
  • -</li>
  • +<p><strong>Complications of thoracic radiation therapy</strong> have significantly reduced since <a href="/articles/conventional-radiation-therapy">conventional radiotherapy</a> has been largely replaced by modern <a href="/articles/radiotherapy-2">conformational techniques</a>. Even though, given the usually high radiation doses required for most thoracic cancers, some degree of collateral effects will be always present in the surrounding thoracic structures:</p><ul>
  • +<li>lungs<ul>
  • +<li>
  • +<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-lung-disease-1">radiation-induced lung disease</a><ul>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/radiation-pneumonitis">radiation pneumonitis</a></li>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-pulmonary-fibrosis">radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis</a></li>
  • +</ul>
  • +</li>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-lung-cancer">radiation-induced lung cancer</a></li>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/brachytherapy-seed-migration-to-the-lung">brachytherapy seed migration to the lung</a></li>
  • +</ul>
  • +</li>
  • +<li>mediastinum<ul>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-heart-disease">radiation-induced heart disease</a></li>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/thymic-cyst">thymic cyst</a></li>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-oesophagitis">radiation-induced oesophagitis</a></li>
  • +</ul>
  • +</li>
  • +<li>soft tissues<ul>
  • +<li>
  • +<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-breast-changes">radiation-induced breast changes</a><ul><li><a title="Radiation-induced breast cancer" href="/articles/radiation-induced-breast-cancer">radiation-induced breast cancer</a></li></ul>
  • +</li>
  • +<li>
  • +<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-sarcoma">radiation-induced sarcomas</a> (in particular, <a href="/articles/undifferentiated-pleomorphic-sarcoma-1">malignant fibrous histiocytoma</a>)</li>
  • +</ul>
  • +</li>
  • +<li>bony thoracic cage<ul>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-mri-signal-changes-in-bone-marrow">radiation-induced bone marrow MRI signal changes</a></li>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/osteoradionecrosis">osteoradionecrosis</a></li>
  • +<li><a href="/articles/radiation-induced-rib-fracture-2">radiation-induced rib fracture</a></li>
  • +<li>
  • +<a href="/articles/radiation-induced-sarcoma">radiation-induced sarcomas</a> (in particular, <a href="/articles/osteosarcoma">osteosarcoma</a>)</li>
  • +</ul>
  • +</li>

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