Chronic oxidative stress and radiation-induced late normal tissue injury: a review

Purpose: It is proposed that the development and progression of radiation- induced late effects are driven, in part, by chronic oxidative stress. This mini- review presents data to support this hypothesis and provides the foundation for antioxidant- based interventional approaches directed at modulating late normal tissue injury. Conclusions: Although a causal link between chronic oxidative stress and radiation- induced late normal tissue injury remains to be established, a growing body of evidence appears to support the hypothesis that chronic oxidative stress might serve to drive the progression of radiation- induced late effects. The similarity between chronic tissue injury, chronic inflammation and fibrosis observed in a variety of disease states, including radiation late effects, is provocative and offers the opportunity to apply antioxidant- based therapies to mitigate and/ or treat late radiation- induced normal tissue injury.