Low-dose radiation therapy: a treatment for pneumonia resulting from COVID-19
Open Access
- 20 January 2021
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice
- Vol. 21 (2), 263-266
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s1460396920001089
Abstract
Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly throughout the world. Lung is the primary organ which the COVID-19 virus affects and leads to pneumonia, an acute respiratory distress syndrome. COVID-19 infects the lower respiratory system, and the lung’s response to this infection is recruiting macrophages and monocytes leading to inflammation, this response causes widespread damage to the lung’s airways. Aim: The purpose of this study is to review studies of using low-dose radiation as a treatment for the inflammation of the tissue and pneumonia resulting from COVID-19. These studies were compared with the risk of developing lung cancer during performed dose for the treatment of COVID-19 in radiation therapy. Materials and methods: Our study focused on in vitro, in vivo and clinical reports of using low-dose radiation for the treatment of inflammation, pneumonia and COVID-19. The risk of lung cancer resulting from suggested dose in these studies was also evaluated. Conclusion: From the review of articles, we have found that low-dose radiation can lead to improvement in inflammation in different line cells and animals; in addition, it has been effective in treating inflammation and pneumonia caused by COVID-19 in human up to 80%. Since suggested doses do not remarkably increase the lung cancer risk, low-dose radiation can be an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19 patients.Keywords
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