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Radiation Therapy-Related Toxicity: Esophagus

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Advances in Radiation Oncology in Lung Cancer

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Radiat Oncol))

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Abstract

Radiation-induced esophagitis is a dose-limiting toxicity of lung cancer treatment. The majority of patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation experience acute esophagitis. Acute esophagitis may be disabling and necessitate hospitalization, placement of a feeding tube in the stomach, or initiation of parenteral nutrition. Moreover, interruption of the course of radiation therapy may be required in order to permit healing of the esophageal injury. Such treatment breaks have been demonstrated to decrease survival of patients with unresectable lung cancer. Proper prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of esophagitis are therefore essential, as it may have a direct influence on tumor control and survival.

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Abbreviations

LD:

Lethal dose

NCI CTCAE:

National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events

RTOG:

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

CHART:

Continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy

EORTC:

European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer

3DCRT:

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy

DVHs:

Dose–volume histograms

QUANTEC:

Quantitative analysis of normal tissue effects in the clinic

CT:

Computed tomography

MTD:

Maximal tolerated dose

Vx:

Volume receiving more than x Gy

SBRT:

Stereotactic body radiation therapy

TITE-CRM:

Time-to-event continual reassessment method

DLTs:

Dose-limiting toxicities

TD:

Tolerance dose

IMRT:

Intensity modulated radiation therapy

NTCP:

Normal tissue complication probability

CGE:

Cobalt-gray equivalent

CCT:

Concurrent chemotherapy

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No conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Kimmel Cancer Center of Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 111 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA

    Voichita Bar Ad & Maria Werner-Wasik

Authors
  1. Voichita Bar Ad
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  2. Maria Werner-Wasik
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Correspondence to Voichita Bar Ad .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Lung Diseases, Institutski put 4, Sremska Kamenica, 21204, Serbia

    Branislav Jeremic

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bar Ad, V., Werner-Wasik, M. (2011). Radiation Therapy-Related Toxicity: Esophagus. In: Jeremic, B. (eds) Advances in Radiation Oncology in Lung Cancer. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2011_204

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2011_204

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-19924-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-19925-7

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