| Causes of Scleroderma (MAIN MENU) |
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| Radiation
and Scleroderma |
| This page
was written by Shelley
Ensz and has not yet been medically edited. |
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| What is Radiation? |
| What
is Radiation Therapy? About 50 to 60 percent of cancer
patients are treated with radiation at some time during their
disease. Radiation therapy is the careful use of high-energy
radiation to treat cancer. RadiologyInfo. |
| Immune System and
Radiation |
| The
Immune System and Radiation This article clearly explains
many aspects of radiation exposure, including the differences
between high dose and low dose radiation exposure, and the
effects on the immune system. Hanford Health Information
Network. |
| What is Scleroderma? |
| What
is Scleroderma? Scleroderma (sklare-oh-derma) means "hard
skin." This complex disease involves tightening and
thickening of the skin, blood vessel damage, inflammation
and immune system changes. ISN. |
| Radiation and Scleroderma |
| There is an increased rate of cancer
among scleroderma patients. Furthermore, scleroderma patients
have an increased sensitivity to radiation treatments. In addition,
radiation can cause scleroderma including Radiation Port Scleroderma. |
| Radiation Complications
in Scleroderma Patients |
| There is an increased rate of cancer
among scleroderma patients, and furthermore scleroderma patients
have an increased sensitivity to radiation treatments. |
| The
Effect of Nonmalignant Systemic Disease on Tolerance to Radiation
Therapy. Collagen vascular disease and inflammatory bowel
disease are considered relative contraindications for radiotherapy.
Common diseases, like diabetes mellitus and hypertension,
also represent management quandaries inasmuch as some reports
also implicate these prevalent diseases with reduced tolerance
to radiotherapy. Although the literature is sparse and retrospective
in nature, the association of these diseases with radiation
tolerance should no longer be regarded as anecdotal. The
Oncologist, Vol. 7, No. 2, 136-143, April 2002. (Also see: Scleroderma
and Cancer) |
| Scleroderma
and Cancer Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) may be associated
with an increased incidence of cancer, including breast cancer,
B-cell lymphoma, lung cancer and tongue cancer. ISN. |
| Matched-control
retrospective study of the acute and late complications in
patients with collagen vascular diseases treated with radiation
therapy. There was a higher incidence of radiation complications
in patients with scleroderma. Importantly, no fatal complication
was noted in any of the patients with collagen vascular diseases
(CVD). PubMed. Cancer J. 2003 Nov-Dec;9(6):461-6. |
| Clinical
Features Associated with Breast and Lung Cancer in Systemic
Sclerosis. Only 2 of 9 scleroderma patients with breast
cancer that were treated with radiation therapy had problems:
one was intense burning and the other generalized thickening
of the chest wall. Editorial Comment: This experience
suggests that severe radiation reactions do not always occur
in scleroderma and radiation therapy may be used as an alternative
to mastectomy. Virginia D Steen, Thomas A Medsger, Jr.,
Abstract 375, 2002 ACR. (Also see: Scleroderma
and Cancer) |
| Abstract: The Effect of Nonmalignant
Systemic Disease on Tolerance to Radiation Therapy. Collagen
vascular disease (CVD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
are considered relative contraindications for radiotherapy. Common
diseases, like diabetes mellitus and hypertension, also represent
management quandaries inasmuch as some reports also implicate
these prevalent diseases with reduced tolerance to radiotherapy.
Although the literature is sparse and retrospective in
nature, the association of these diseases with radiation tolerance
should no longer be regarded as anecdotal. The Oncologist,
Vol. 7, No. 2, 136-143, April 2002. |
| Radiation
Sensitivity. A variety of reports have been published
that suggest a correlation between exaggerated reactions
after radiotherapy and connective tissue diseases,
especially scleroderma, systemic and discoid lupus erythematosus,
and mixed connective tissue disease. AJR 2001; 177:3-11. |
| Radiation Port Scleroderma |
| Postirradiation
morphea and subcutaneous polyarteritis nodosa: Case report
and literature review. Postirradiation morphea is an
uncommon condition but is being increasingly recognized.
Related phenomena following radiation include postirradiation
panniculitis and now postirradiation subcutaneous polyarteritis
nodosa. Radiation may be responsible for inducing some of
the pathogenic changes seen in scleroderma and other autoimmune
diseases. PubMed. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Apr;34(5):728-34.
(Also see: Causes
of Morphea and Associated
Conditions: PAN) |
| Morphea. Morphea
may occur at the site of previous supervoltage radiation therapy
for breast cancer and other cancers, developing from 1 month
up to 32 years after irradiation. Michael Girardi, MD, Program
Director, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Yale
University School of Medicine. eMedicine, June 2003. (Also
see: Morphea
Scleroderma) |
| Localized
scleroderma in a woman irradiated at two sites for endometrial
and breast carcinoma: A case history and a review of the
literature. Localized scleroderma is an uncommon side-effect
of radiotherapy. We report a unique case with multiple asynchronous
primary malignant tumors, which developed localized scleroderma
after radiotherapy. PubMed. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2003
Jan-Feb;13(1):77-82 (Also see: Localized
Scleroderma) |
| Localized
scleroderma in breast cancer patients treated with supervoltage
external beam radiation: radiation port scleroderma. Radiation
port localized scleroderma can be a result of supervoltage
radiation therapy in patients with breast cancer. Recognition
is important because localized scleroderma can clinically
mimic recurrent breast carcinoma. PubMed, J Am Acad Dermatol.
1996 Dec;35(6):923-7. |
| Personal Stories Regarding
Radiation |
| Brian
D. Jessop: Scleroderma I am a Vietnam Vet from 1968
to 1970. I am from the Agent Orange time on the Saigon River
and the Macon Delta Rivers... |
| Carrie:
CREST Syndrome All this started in 1995, as far as
receiving any diagnosis. First, I was diagnosed with breast
cancer. I went through radiation and chemotherapy... |
| Dotty:
Scleroderma, Sjögren's, Parotid Lymphoma I have
taken control of my life and I just know there is a wonderful
future for me... |
| Kym:
Diffuse, CREST Scleroderma, Lupus and Fibromyalgia It
all started with Raynaud's in my fingers and toes when I
was about nineteen years old, in 1979... |
| Jennifer
Weldon: Systemic Scleroderma/Stem Cell Transplant Patient I
was put on a ventilator and complete life support. I had
five open heart surgeries... |
| Rachel:
Morphea Scleroderma I have learned to control the
use of addicting medication and to manage the pain as well
as possible... |
| Sharon:
CREST with Limited Scleroderma, Sjögren's and Pulmonary
Hypertension (Australia) Day by day I discover another
food I cannot eat... |
| Sue
Ann: Mother of Son with Scleredema Scleredema is an illness
similar to scleroderma. It is also known as Scleredema Adultorum,
Scleredema Adultorum of Buschke, Scleredema Diabeticorum,
and Scleredema Diabeticorum of Buschke.. |
| Also see: Cancer
and Scleroderma |
