Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Sciacca F, Organs at risk. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 25 Apr 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-80650
The organs at risk (OARs) are the healthy tissues / organs placed near the clinical target volume (CTV) whose irradiation could cause damage that would make changes to the radiotherapy treatment plan. The heart, for example, in radiotherapy with LINAC of the left breast cancer, is an organ at risk.
Tolerance to ionizing radiation from organs at risk (dose constraints), dependent on radiosensitivity and volume, is one of the main factors limiting the choice of radiation therapy dose. The maximum absorbed dose that the spinal cord can receive, in thoracic radiotherapy for example, is 45 Gy.
For this purpose, the therapeutic ratio is defined as the relationship between the probability of eradicating neoplastic disease, dependent on radiation therapy dose, and the toxicity of the OARs, dependent on dose constraints.
-
1. Taylor CW, Kirby AM. Cardiac Side-effects From Breast Cancer Radiotherapy. (2015) Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain)). 27 (11): 621-9. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2015.06.007 - Pubmed
-
2. Noël G, Antoni D, Barillot I, Chauvet B. [Delineation of organs at risk and dose constraints]. (2016) Cancer radiotherapie : journal de la Societe francaise de radiotherapie oncologique. 20 Suppl: S36-60. doi:10.1016/j.canrad.2016.07.032 - Pubmed
-
3. Antoni D, Noël G. [Which constraints for which organs at risk in radiotherapy for adult patients?]. (2015) Cancer radiotherapie : journal de la Societe francaise de radiotherapie oncologique. 19 (6-7): 479-83. doi:10.1016/j.canrad.2015.05.013 - Pubmed
-
4. Emami B, Lyman J, Brown A, Coia L, Goitein M, Munzenrider JE, Shank B, Solin LJ, Wesson M. Tolerance of normal tissue to therapeutic irradiation. (1991) International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics. 21 (1): 109-22. doi:10.1016/0360-3016(91)90171-y - Pubmed
-
5. Kong FM, Ritter T, Quint DJ, Senan S, Gaspar LE, Komaki RU, Hurkmans CW, Timmerman R, Bezjak A, Bradley JD, Movsas B, Marsh L, Okunieff P, Choy H, Curran WJ. Consideration of dose limits for organs at risk of thoracic radiotherapy: atlas for lung, proximal bronchial tree, esophagus, spinal cord, ribs, and brachial plexus. (2011) International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics. 81 (5): 1442-57. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.07.1977 - Pubmed
-
6. Thoms J, Bristow RG. DNA repair targeting and radiotherapy: a focus on the therapeutic ratio. (2010) Seminars in radiation oncology. 20 (4): 217-22. doi:10.1016/j.semradonc.2010.06.003 - Pubmed
Promoted articles (advertising)