Radiation Oncology/Radiobiology/Radiobiology and lung

RADIATION INJURY IN LUNG:

• Pneumocytes type II —> main target of radiation
  • Earliest response to radiation
    • ==> decrease in lamellar bodies
    • ==> increase in alveolar surfactant
  • By 18–63 weeks
    • Degeneration & sloughing into alveolar spaces
• Inflammatory cytokines
  • IL-1α/β
  • TGF-β
  • PDGF
  • Collagen and fibronectin genes