Radiation Treatment and the Lungs
One of the side effects of radiation therapy (also called
radiotherapy) involves the lungs. When high-energy rays are used to
damage cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing, it is
inevitable that normal cells are also affected.
Especially after radiation treatments for tumors within the chest
or the breast, the lungs may become inflamed. The lung inflammation
from radiotherapy is termed radiation pneumonitis.
Radiotherapy is usually given on an outpatient basis in a hospital
or clinic 5 days a week for several weeks. Radiation pneumonitis
tends to show up 2 weeks to 6 months after the end of radiotherapy.
By no means is everyone with radiation pneumonitis ill. The
radiation pneumonitis may be seen as an incidental finding on a chest
x-ray in someone who had radiotherapy but has no symptoms.
If symptoms of radiation pneumonitis occur, they may include
shortness of breath upon activity, cough and fever.
Blood testing usually shows an abnormal white blood count and an
elevated sedimentation rate, signs that inflammation may be present
somewhere in the body, but not pointing specifically at the lungs.
Radiation pneumonitis is often reversible with medications that
reduce inflammation, such as the cortisone drugs (prednisone and
others).
If radiation pneumonitis persists, it can lead to scarring of the
lungs, a condition called radiation fibrosis.
Radiation fibrosis typically occurs a year after the completion of
radiation treatments. Radiation fibrosis is usually not
reversible.
Last Editorial Review: 1/22/1999 7:59:00 AM