The role of Radiation Therapy in Treatment of COVID-19 induced Pneumonia

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infected people can develop severe inflammatory reactions, which can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death. The use of radiation in the treatment of COVID-19 induced pneumonia sounds unusual, but is currently being investigated in clinical trials. Some early results have been already published. This study aims to review existing information about the role of radiation therapy in the Treatment of COVID-19 induced pneumonia. Methods and Materials: An electronic search of the PubMed database and additional resources ware used to obtain key literature. The following search terms were used: “Radiation therapy” and “COVID-19”. Results: Search resulted in 137 citations. The first phase of screening identified 13 articles, from which nine articles were identified to be relevant for the second phase of screening. Six articles were included in the review. Conclusion: Low-dose radiotherapy has been considered as a potential treatment for COVID-19 induced pneumonia. The benefits of LDRT for pneumonia have been reported since the early 20th. However knowledge is lacking, hence further investigation of the pros and cons of this method is strongly recommended. LDRT as a prospective cure of COVID-19 induced pneumonia is worthy of research in a clinical setting.