Radiation Pneumonitis: Overview
Radiation pneumonitis, or inflammation and scarring of the lungs, is a complication that may develop after radiation treatment for lung and other cancers. Radiation causes alveoli, the tiny airsacs within the lungs, to become inflamed.
Symptoms usually occur within the first few months following treatment and include, but may not be limited to, a persistent dry cough, breathlessness, fatigue, and sometimes fever.
Steroids are given to reduce inflammation associated with the condition while antibiotics may be used to treat infection. Symptoms usually improve two to three months after medication begins.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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