Stone Helen B, Coleman C Norman, Anscher Mitchell S, McBride William H
Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, MD 20892 7440, USA.
Lancet Oncol. 2003 Sep;4(9):529-36. doi: 10.1016/s1470-2045(03)01191-4.
The use of radiation therapy to treat cancer inevitably involves exposure of normal tissues. As a result, patients may experience symptoms associated with damage to normal tissue during the course of therapy for a few weeks after therapy or months or years later. Symptoms may be due to cell death or wound healing initiated within irradiated tissue, and may be precipitated by exposure to further injury or trauma. Many factors contribute to risk and severity of normal tissue reactions; these factors are site specific and vary with time after treatment. Treatments that reduce the risk or severity of damage to normal tissue or that facilitate the healing of radiation injury are being developed. These could greatly improve the quality of life of patients treated for cancer.
使用放射疗法治疗癌症不可避免地会涉及正常组织的暴露。因此，患者可能会在治疗过程中、治疗后的几周内、数月或数年后出现与正常组织损伤相关的症状。症状可能是由于受照射组织内引发的细胞死亡或伤口愈合，并且可能因暴露于进一步的损伤或创伤而加剧。许多因素会导致正常组织反应的风险和严重程度；这些因素因部位而异，并随治疗后的时间而变化。正在研发降低正常组织损伤风险或严重程度或促进放射损伤愈合的治疗方法。这些方法可以极大地改善癌症患者的生活质量。
