From: Genetics and genomics of radiotherapy toxicity: towards prediction
Site/tissue | Acute | Late |
---|---|---|
Skin | Erythema, dry skin, desquamation, transient hair loss, dermatitis, pain | Subcutaneous fibrosis (induration/hardening), dry skin (loss of sweat glands), atrophy (thinning), dyskeratosis, telangiectasia (blood vessel damage), permanent hair loss, pigmentation, ulceration (necrosis) |
Central nervous system | Tiredness, nausea, edema, transient radiation myelitis with numbness, paresthesia and 'electric-shock'-like sensation often precipitated by neck flexion (Lhermitte's syndrome) | Fibrosis, demyelination, vascular damage, necrosis, cognitive decline, hearing loss, hypopituitarism, myelopathy, paralysis |
Head and neck | Erythema, edema, oral mucositis, pain | Fibrosis, telangiectasia, dry mouth (xerostomia), dental caries, osteo-radionecrosis, cartilage necrosis |
Eye | Local irritation, watery eyes (increased lacrimation) | Cataract formation, dry eyes (xerophthalmia), weeping eye (epiphora) due to impaired lacrimal drainage, impairment of corneal sensation leading to damage, corneal ulceration and corneal keratinization, retinal hemorrhage, exudate and degeneration, optic atrophy |
Esophagus/stomach | Mucositis, dysphagia, gastritis, pain, vomiting | Fibrosis, stenosis, strictures, obstruction, ulceration |
Lung | Pneumonitis (dyspnea, non-productive cough and chest tightness) | Fibrosis (scarring), dyspnea |
Breast | Edema | Lymphoedema, fibrosis (hardening), atrophy (shrinking) |
Intestine | Mucositis, malabsorption, vomiting, diarrhea, pain, tenesmus, passage of mucus, bleeding | Malabsorption, adhesions, stenosis, obstruction, proctitis, fistulae, incontinence, telangiectasia (leading to rectal bleeding), ulceration |
Kidney, ureter, bladder | Radiation nephritis, cystitis, increased micturition, dysuria, hyperemia, mucosal edema | Chronic radiation nephritis (proteinuria, nocturia), progressive nephropathy with hypertension, and proteinuria, fibrosis, ulceration, obstruction, incontinence |
Reproductive tract | Vaginal mucositis, cessation of menstruation | Sterility, induction of menopause, vaginal stenosis, vaginal obstruction, vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction |
Bone and cartilage | Â | Growth retardation of growing bone, osteoradionecrosis, cartilage necrosis |
Hemopoietic | Decreased total white cells (leukopenia), decreased platelets (thrombocytopenia) | Â |