Recognizing radiation therapy– related complications in the chest

Radiation therapy is one of the cornerstones for the treatment of thoracic malignancies. Although advances in radiation therapy technology have improved the delivery of radiation considerably, adverse effects are still common. Postirradiation changes affect the organ or tissue treated and the neighboring structures. Advances in external-beam radiation delivery techniques and how these techniques affect the expected thoracic radiation–induced changes are described. In addition, how to distinguish these expected changes from complications such as infection and radiation-induced malignancy, and identify treatment failure, that is, local tumor recurrence, is reviewed.