Many classes of drugs have been studied which have potential to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy by decreasing normal tissue injury. The working hypothesis of investigators in this field is that if damage to healthy tissue could be prevented or minimised, radiation doses could be increased and allow for more aggressive and effective treatment of tumours. Despite improvements in tumour targeting, radiation traverses normal tissues and often inadvertently damages healthy tissue surrounding the tumour, fundamentally limiting the radiation dose that can be safely used.Ĭomplementary to technological improvements, medications to alleviate side effects resulting from the treatment have advanced. Examples include greater penetration of the radiation dose using high energy x-rays and newer techniques that allow for precision delivery such as intensity modulated radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery and image guided radiotherapy. In recent years, advances in technology have allowed for the increased effectiveness of radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.
By reducing the amount of tissue damage resulting from radiation therapy, physicians may be able to increase the amount of radiation applied to a tumour, allowing for more effective eradication. Dr Jae Ho Kim and Dr Stephen Brown of Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, USA, have identified molecular processes associated with radiation injury and have developed anti-inflammatory strategies that can prevent, mitigate, and treat tissue damage. However, radiation-induced tissue injury can be a serious side effect of treatment. Radiation therapy is a common treatment for cancerous tumours.
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