Radiation-Induced Lung Injury Imaging

Abstract

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) occurs in up to 30% of thoracic radiotherapy (RT) cases and is a major limiting factor of dose escalation to achieve tumor control and improve survival. RILI can be separated into two phases: an early inflammatory phase and a late fibrotic phase. Imaging has the potential to provide a helpful understanding of RILI for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Current clinical imaging methods rely on anatomical imaging and occasionally incorporate functional imaging. With the advent of molecular imaging, specific targeted probes can be designed to image RILI at every stage of the process. Molecular imaging is still in its infancy and most new RILI imaging techniques are still under development. This chapter summarizes the different imaging methods used clinically for RILI imaging and explores new developments for the future of RILI management.