Clinical analysis of 19 patients with acute radiation pneumonitis in the standard radio therapy

Objective: To analyze retrospectively the relationship between radiation dosage and the area affected and the incidence of acute radiation pneumonitis, as well as therapeutic efficacy of acute radiation pneumonitis with standard radiotherapy. Methods: From Dec. 1996 to Dec. 2001, 183 patients with lung cancer were treated with standard radiotherapy in the Navy General Hospital and the No. 107 Hospital. The treatment profile was 2 Gy per exposure, 1 exposure per day; 5 days per week, with an accumulated dosage of 50-70 Gy. Results: There occurred 19 cases of acute radiation pneumonitis, with an incidence of 10.4%. For irradiations with a dosage of below 65 Gy, over 55-65 Gy and over 65 Gy, the incidence of acute radiation pneumonitis was 6%, 8.7 % and 15.6% respectively. The incidence with an irradiation area of below 120 cm2 and above 120 cm2 was 8.54% and 11.88% respectively. For the treatment group, the remission rate of acute radiation pneumonitis was 84.21% (16/19). Conclusion: The incidence of acute radiation pneumonitis rises with an increase in the irradiation dosage and area following standard radiotherapy. With proper treatment, obvious symptoms and signs could be relieved. But the most important thing is to take preventive measures first.