Histological changes in the cervical lymph nodes after radiotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Radiology

Background:

• Neck radiotherapy is a common cancer treatment, often combined with surgery or chemotherapy.
• Histopathological changes in neck tissues post-radiotherapy require detailed investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare short-term and long-term histopathological changes in the neck after radiotherapy.
• To evaluate the radiosensitivity of lymph nodes based on size.

Main Methods:

• Histopathological examination of neck tissues from patients treated with radiotherapy.
• Categorization of changes into short-term (6 months-1 year) and long-term (over 6 years) groups.
• Comparison with a control group that did not receive radiotherapy.

Main Results:

• Long-term radiotherapy exposure resulted in more pronounced stromal fibrosis and vascular changes compared to short-term exposure.
• Lymph nodes measuring over one centimeter in the long-term group were significantly smaller than in the short-term group.
• The findings suggest lymph nodes larger than one centimeter are more radiosensitive.

Conclusions:

• Radiotherapy induces progressive histopathological changes in neck tissues over time.
• Larger lymph nodes exhibit greater radiosensitivity, shrinking significantly after six years of radiotherapy treatment.