Respiratory Research (May 2021)

Effects of diabetes on the development of radiation pneumonitis

  • Guangtong Dong,
  • Yuxiao Li,
  • Qiyao Zhao,
  • Bing Pang,
  • Xin Qi,
  • Junping Wei,
  • Wei Hou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-021-01754-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Radiation pneumonia (RP) is a common adverse reaction to radiation therapy in patients with chest tumors. Recent studies have shown that diabetes mellitus (DM), which can cause systemic multisystem damage, specifically targets lungs, and the incidence of RP in patients with a history of diabetes is higher than that in other patients with tumors who have undergone radiotherapy. DM is an important risk factor for RP in tumor patients undergoing RT, and patients with DM should be treated with caution. This article reviews research on the clinical aspects, as well as the mechanism, of the effects of diabetes on RP and suggests future research needed to reduce RP.

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