| Li Jing,Xue Zhuhong,Zhou Guangming.Advances in research on radiotherapy-induced nervous system injury[J].Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection,2026,46(8):804-810 |
| Advances in research on radiotherapy-induced nervous system injury |
| Received:October 17, 2025 |
| DOI：10.3760/cma.j.cn112271-20251017-00362 |
| KeyWords:Radiotherapy|Central nervous system|Tumor|Radiation-induced damage |
| FundProject:黑龙江省卫生健康委科研课题(2020-441);齐齐哈尔市科技计划创新激励项目(CSFGG-2020001) |
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| Abstract:: |
| Owing to its high efficacy and tolerability, radiotherapy represents an important treatment method for various tumors and vascular malformations of the central nervous system (CNS), having found increasingly wide clinical applications. However, radiotherapy inevitably causes surrounding normal nerve tissues of the CNS to be irradiated, thereby tending to induce multiple short- to long-term complications, including both mild self-limiting reactions and irreversible or even fatal damage to nervous tissues. In recent years, the constant optimization of radiotherapy techniques (e.g., target delineation and dose delivery) and precise radiotherapy solutions have effectively lowered the radiation doses to normal tissues surrounding target volumes. However, patients still suffer from various radiotherapy-related adverse reactions, especially radiation-induced damage to nervous tissues in the head and neck. Regarding underlying mechanisms, radiation-induced nervous system injury is primarily mediated by oxidative stress, being manifested as increased neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation activation, cell dysfunction, and vascular endothelial dysfunction. These reactions then trigger tissue fibrosis, leading to the dysfunction of neural substructures and eventually inducing adverse outcomes including brain tissue necrosis, white matter injury, and vascular lesions. This review summarizes radiotherapy solutions and relevant treatment strategies and systematically elucidates the core mechanisms underlying radiotherapy-induced nervous system injury, focusing on the analysis and interpretation of the clinical characteristics of radiotherapy-related neurologic complications, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of such injury. |
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