We evaluated risk factors of radiation pneumonitis (RP) after whole breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery. Four hundred and seventy-two cases underwent whole breast irradiation with tangential field following breast-conserving surgery in our hospital, between January 2005 and April 2007. Of these cases, we performed statistical analyses for 423 breasts of 413 patients, using a pulmonary dose-volume histogram. Patient characteristics, treatment regimens and irradiation methods were included as variables in the analyses on risk factors of RP. As a result, 89 breasts of 84 cases (21%) were diagnosed with RP. The version 3.0 of the NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events was used to evaluate the grade of pneumonitis: 77 cases (18.2%) were diagnosed as Grade 1 RP, 10 cases (2.3%) as Grade 2, and 2 cases (0.5%) as Grade 3. Multivariate analysis indicated that the significant risk factors for RP were central lung distance (CLD) (>1.8 cm) and the short axis length of the radiation field. The incidence of radiation-induced bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) syndrome significantly correlated only with CLD. The lung volume within the radiation field was shown to be a significant risk factor for RP and radiation-induced BOOP syndrome.

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Radiation therapy (RT) in general requires a treatment period of 5 to 7 weeks. Tumor shrinkage in response to RT and weight loss due to radiationinduced mucositis may impact on the dose distribution in both target and organ at risk in patients Abstract : The treatment period over which radiation therapy is administered extends over several weeks. Since tumor shrinkage in response to radiation therapy and weight loss due to radiation-induced mucositis may impact on the dose distribution in both target and organ at risk in patients with head and neck cancer, the anatomical changes of tumor and neck volumes during this period should be taken into consideration. We investigated the anatomical changes that occurred in the target and normal structure of the neck during radiation therapy for pharyngeal cancer, and evaluated the necessity of an adaptive strategy. Ten patients with pharyngeal cancer who underwent radical chemoradiation therapy using 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy RT ( ORIGINAL Changes

The incidence of severe acute hematological toxicity was significantly higher in this study than in previously reported randomized controlled trials (RCTs), especially in the group of 40 mg/m2 cisplatin. A dose of 30 mg/m2 of cisplatin was considered to be feasible in weekly cisplatin and radiation therapy.

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