RADIATION CYSTITIS AND HYPERBARIC MANAGEMENT

Course overview

RADIATION CYSTITIS DESCRIBES THE INFLAMMATION AND RESULTANT CELLULAR DESTRUCTION OF THE BLADDER THAT OCCURS AS AN ADVERSE EFFECT OF THE RADIATION USED IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCERS. TYPICALLY, RADIATION CYSTITIS OCCURS AFTER RADIATION OF THE PELVIC REGION, WHICH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR TREATMENT OF PRIMARY BLADDER CANCER OR TREATMENT OF TUMORS IN REGIONS AROUND THE BLADDER, COLON, RECTUM, OVARIES, UTERUS, AND PROSTATE. DAMAGE FROM RADIATION CAN BE ACUTE, OCCURRING LESS THAN SIX MONTHS FROM COMPLETION OF RADIATION THERAPY, OR DELAYED, OCCURRING MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF RADIATION THERAPY. SEVERITY OF FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT AND IRRITATION VARY. MILDER SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE INCREASED FREQUENCY, URGENCY, AND DYSURIA AND MAY RESOLVE WITH TIME. SEVERE SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE URINARY INCONTINENCE, GROSS HEMATURIA, AND PROGRESSION OF DAMAGE TO INCLUDE FISTULA FORMATION OR NECROTIC BLADDER TISSUE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF RADIATION CYSTITIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.