Lipid metabolic reprogramming in Cancer radiation resistance: Mechanisms and therapeutic implications

Currently, cancer treatment mainly includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, wherein radiotherapy is one of the core modalities. However, its efficacy is often limited by radiotherapy resistance in the tumour cells. In recent years, studies have found that tumour cells undergo lipid metabolic reprogramming to enhance lipid synthesis, uptake, and storage, thereby adapting to the energy and structural adjustment demands imposed by radiotherapy, gaining survival advantage and developing radiation resistance. This review mainly focused on the role of lipid metabolic changes, including fatty acids, cholesterol, and phospholipids, in radiation resistance, aiming to provide ideas for achieving individualised precision radiotherapy.