T lymphocytes to predict radiation-induced late effects in normal tissues

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Radiotherapy

Background:

• Radiotherapy is a primary treatment for solid tumors, but normal tissue toxicity limits the total radiation dose.
• Severe late radiation-induced toxicity affects 5-10% of patients, yet current protocols ignore individual radiosensitivity variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review late radiotherapy-induced side effects.
• To discuss cellular assays for predicting patient toxicity risk.

Main Methods:

• Focus on γ-H2AX/53BP1 focus formation, G2 metaphase, G0 micronucleus formation, and radio-induced apoptosis in CD8+ T-lymphocytes.
• Review of level I evidence for these predictive assays.

Main Results:

• Severe late radiation toxicity occurs in 5-10% of patients.
• Cellular assays show promise in predicting individual patient responses to radiotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Routine prediction of late radiation toxicity enables personalized radiotherapy, improving outcomes and reducing side effects.
• Tailoring radiation doses based on individual risk can optimize treatment efficacy and patient safety.