Radiation and cancer
Many of the long-term effects from radiation therapy are due to radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF).
Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) can develop as a late effect of radiation therapy in:
- Skin and subcutaneous tissue
- Lungs
- Gastrointestinal (GI) tract
- Genitourinary (GU) tract
- Muscles
- Other organs, depending upon the treatment site.
RIF may cause both cosmetic and functional impairment.
The development of radiation induced fibrosis is influenced by multiple factors:
- Radiation delivery
- Previous or concurrent treatments including surgery and chemotherapy,
- Genetic susceptibility
- Other medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus.
RIF previously was thought to be a slow and irreversible process. However, recent studies suggest that some of the effects can be mitigated and slowed down.
Tools & Resources
Common effects from radiation therapy:
- Carcinogenic (cancer causing) effects of radiation
- Dry Mouth
- Diarrhea- other bowel symptoms
- Infertility
- Lung inflammation (pneumonitis)
- Lymphedema
- Osteoradionecrosis
- Skin-radiation fibrosis
For more information, follow these links to American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute web pages.
