Toxicity of combined radiation and chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

The present paper reviews the different acute and late effects due to radiation and chemotherapy on the different organs lying within the chest (lung, esophagus, spinal cord, heart and skin) using available experimental and clinical data. Some specific issues are stressed, such as the problem of time interval between drug and radiation, the latency period for late effects, and the necessity to use an actuarial method to evaluate the real risk of late effects.