Side Effects and Complications from Radiation Therapy
The side effects of radiation depend on a number of different factors:
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CTCAE v3.0 grading is by definition a 5-point scale generally corresponding to mild, moderate, severe, life-threatening and death.
Grade |
Description |
0 |
No Adverse Event (absent) or within normal limits |
1 |
Mild Adverse Event (minor; no specific medical intervention; asymptomatic laboratory findings only, radiographic findings only; marginal clinical relevance) |
2 |
Moderate Adverse Event (minimal intervention; local intervention; noninvasive intervention [packing, cautery]) |
3 |
Severe and undesirable Adverse Event (significant symptoms requiring hospitalization or invasive intervention; transfusion; elective interventional radiological procedure; therapeutic endoscopy or operation) |
4 |
Life-threatening or disabling Adverse Event (complicated by acute, life-threatening metabolic or cardiovascular complications such as circulatory failure, hemorrhage, sepsis. Life-threatening physiologic consequences; need for intensive care or emergent invasive procedure; emergent interventional radiological procedure, therapeutic endoscopy or operation) |
5 |
Death related to Adverse Event |