Page 26 - SDIR5 Abstract book 21 12 2021.

RADIOBIOLOGY

Session: Radiobiology
LECTURES

The role of IL-6 in radiotherapy-induced toxicity

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Besu Irina , Matić Ivana , Kopčalić Katarina , Tatjana Stanojković , Marina Nikitović 1
1 Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

Background: Prostate cancer is the second most frequently occurring cancer and the fifth leading cause of
cancer death among males worldwide. In approximately 50% of all cancer patients, radiotherapy is a widely
used anticancer treatment, often used in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. Exposure to
radiation initiates a programmed cellular response to promote tissue repair, which involves the induction
and regulation of proinflammatory cytokines. Cytokine expression is associated with radiation-related
tissue damage and inflammation, and may serve as an indicator of cell and tissue toxicity during prostate
cancer radiotherapy. The aim of our researches was to evaluate the possible clinical value of the
associations between clinical, physical, and biological factors, and risk for development of acute
radiotoxicity in patients with prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: The study involved forty-four patients
treated with three‑dimensional conformal radiotherapy. The concentrations of IL‑1β, IL‑2, IL‑6, IFN‑γ and
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TGF‑β1 were assessed before radiotherapy, after 5 , 15 , 25 radiotherapy fractions and 1 month after
the end of radiotherapy. Results: Analysis of circulating cytokine levels during radiotherapy showed that
increased serum concentrations of IL‑6 were significantly associated with higher grade of acute
genitourinary toxicity. Increased level of IL‑6 during the radiotherapy was significantly associated with
higher grade of acute genitourinary toxicity across treatment. Conclusion: The prediction of individual
radiosensitivity might be based on determination of cytokine levels changes at specific time during course
of radiotherapy which is only a part of the complex multifactorial puzzle influencing the radiotoxicity.
Keywords: cancer, cytokine, immunology

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