Low dose lung radiotherapy for COVID-19 pneumonia. The rationale for a cost-effective anti-inflammatory treatment.

Low dose lung radiotherapy for COVID-19 pneumonia. The rationale for a cost-effective anti-inflammatory treatment. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2020 Jul;23:27-29 Authors: Lara PC, Burgos J, Macias D Abstract The COVID-19 pandemia is affecting people worldwide. Most of the patients suffered of a respiratory disease that will progress to an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia severely ill patients, develop a systemic inflammatory response with a Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), that is characterized by a sudden increase in several pro-inflammatory cytokines, mainly IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alfa by activated macrophages (M1 phenotype). Blocking IL-6 with tocilizumab and using respirator equipment seems to be a very important issue in this (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia, but not all patients are referred to such treatments. Low dose radiotherapy (0,5 Gy), is an evidence-based anti-inflammatory treatment, that could modify the immune landscape in the lung affected of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, through macrophages polarization to alternatively activated Macrophages (M2 phenotype). Radiation-induced cancer risk could be assumed due to the very low dose used, the advanced age of the patients and the life-threatening condition of SARS-Cov2 pneumonia. LDRT is a cost-effective non-toxic treatment already available in most general hospitals. This fact allows that it would be used for the large number of patients that will suffer this dise...
Source: Clinical Lung Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Clin Transl Radiat Oncol Source Type: research