Biomaterial Database

Radiation tolerance of the cervical spinal cord. 1981

Y H Kim, and J V Fayos

A total of 109 patients were studied after receiving radiation therapy that included a dose to the spinal cord. In addition to irradiation of the primary site, 59 patients received radiation to the lower neck. Transverse myelopathy developed in three patients; all three had been treated with fields to the lower neck. The dose to the spinal cord at the site of junctional fields was thought to be considerably higher because of the beam divergence from multiple fields employed. The authors stress that prolonged fractionation of treatment, fixation of the head during treatment, precise dosimetry, and close surveillance of the patient are important factors in avoiding radiation myelitis. The authors also stress the importance of controlling divergence of multiple beams by employing appropriate shields.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008207	Lymphatic Metastasis	Transfer of a neoplasm from its primary site to lymph nodes or to distant parts of the body by way of the lymphatic system.	Lymph Node Metastasis,Lymph Node Metastases,Lymphatic Metastases,Metastasis, Lymph Node
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009187	Myelitis	Inflammation of the spinal cord. Relatively common etiologies include infections; AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES; SPINAL CORD; and ischemia (see also SPINAL CORD VASCULAR DISEASES). Clinical features generally include weakness, sensory loss, localized pain, incontinence, and other signs of autonomic dysfunction.	Myelopathy, Inflammatory,Spinal Cord Inflammation,Subacute Necrotizing Myelitis,Infectious Myelitis,Inflammation, Spinal Cord,Inflammations, Spinal Cord,Inflammatory Myelopathies,Inflammatory Myelopathy,Myelitides,Myelitides, Subacute Necrotizing,Myelitis, Infectious,Myelitis, Subacute Necrotizing,Myelopathies, Inflammatory,Necrotizing Myelitides, Subacute,Necrotizing Myelitis, Subacute,Spinal Cord Inflammations,Subacute Necrotizing Myelitides
D011832	Radiation Injuries	Harmful effects of non-experimental exposure to ionizing or non-ionizing radiation in VERTEBRATES.	Radiation Sickness,Radiation Syndrome,Injuries, Radiation,Injury, Radiation,Radiation Injury,Radiation Sicknesses,Radiation Syndromes,Sickness, Radiation,Sicknesses, Radiation,Syndrome, Radiation,Syndromes, Radiation
D011835	Radiation Protection	Methods and practices adopted to protect against RADIATION.	Protection, Radiation
D011878	Radiotherapy	The use of IONIZING RADIATION to treat malignant NEOPLASMS and some benign conditions.	Radiotherapy, Targeted,Targeted Radiotherapy,Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapy, Targeted,Radiation Treatment,Targeted Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapies,Radiation Therapies, Targeted,Radiation Treatments,Radiotherapies,Radiotherapies, Targeted,Targeted Radiation Therapies,Targeted Radiotherapies,Therapies, Radiation,Therapies, Targeted Radiation,Therapy, Radiation,Therapy, Targeted Radiation,Treatment, Radiation
D011879	Radiotherapy Dosage	The total amount of radiation absorbed by tissues as a result of radiotherapy.	Dosage, Radiotherapy,Dosages, Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy Dosages
D004307	Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation	The relationship between the dose of administered radiation and the response of the organism or tissue to the radiation.	Dose Response Relationship, Radiation,Dose-Response Relationships, Radiation,Radiation Dose-Response Relationship,Radiation Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Radiation Dose-Response,Relationships, Radiation Dose-Response
D005260	Female		Females