Radiation Oncology/Radiobiology/Normal Tissue Tolerance

Normal tissue radiation tolerance refers to the response of previously unirradiated tissues to a variety of very different exposure scenarios: Early radiation effect: typically, tissues with a high proliferative activity, such as bone marrow, epidermis, or mucosa of the gastro-intestinal tract, display early radiation effects Late radiation effect: observed in virtually all tissues and organs, usually irreversible, and potentially progressive over long time periods Volume effect and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models The probability that a given dose of radiation will cause an organ or structure to experience complications considering the specific biological cells of the organ or structure The NTCP is used in treatment planning as a tool to differentiate among treatment plans A dose-dependent mathematical model to gauge the probability of dose-induced complications in noncancerous tissue QUANTEC (Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic, PMID: 20171515)