T-lymphocyte micronuclei dose response from prostate radiotherapy

Micronuclei (MN) production in the peripheral blood T-lymphocytes of patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer increases with increasing integral radiation dose to the prostate/pelvic area, thereby demonstrating a linear, in vivo, clinical dose response relationship for this biological dosimetry system. Use of this lymphocyte assay system may have practical implications to evaluating and monitoring of treatment planning by encouraging conformal radiation therapy techniques in order to decrease systemic toxicity to the patient's immune system from pelvic radiotherapy.