The clinician's guide to radiotherapy complications

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Radiotherapy, a century-old cancer treatment, has improved efficacy but adverse events (AEs) remain a challenge.
• Increased cancer survival due to radiotherapy leads to a growing population of survivors affected by long-term AEs.
• Non-oncologists often manage AEs, necessitating broader awareness of radiotherapy complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review common and severe adverse events (AEs) associated with radiotherapy across multiple organ systems.
• To elucidate the pathogenesis of radiotherapy-induced AEs.
• To provide guidelines for the prevention, risk assessment, diagnosis, and management of these AEs.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of radiotherapy adverse events.
• Analysis of pathogenesis mechanisms for common and severe AEs.
• Synthesis of current guidelines and future perspectives in AE management.

Main Results:

• Identified frequent and severe AEs affecting the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and urogenital systems.
• Detailed the underlying mechanisms contributing to these adverse events.
• Outlined strategies for risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Conclusions:

• Effective management of radiotherapy AEs is crucial for improving cancer survivor quality of life.
• Enhanced understanding and standardized guidelines for AEs benefit both oncologists and non-oncologists.
• Ongoing research and clinical trials focus on minimizing radiotherapy complications while maintaining treatment efficacy.