Table 2.
Incidence of radiotherapy side effects
| Toxicity | Incidence (incidence in studies directly reporting only) |
|---|---|
| Alopecia | “Most”a |
| Erythema | 8.2% (37.6%) |
| Nausea/vomiting | 1.3% (11.3%) |
| Headache/orbital pain | 6.2% (11.8%) |
| Anterior inflammation (blepharitis/conjunctivitis/keratitis/iritis) | 2.8% (9.7%) |
| Lacrimal dysfunction | 5.6% (14.0%) |
| Cataract | 2.8% (21.3%) |
| Retinopathy | 3.9% (10.4%) |
| Optic neuropathy | 0.6% (5.8%) |
| Pituitary dysfunction | 2.1% (10.5%) |
Notes: Total incidence of reported side effects based on all available studies and patients (n=466). It should be noted that these results are subjected to significant reporting bias, as where studies have not reported a specific side effect, it is unclear whether this side effect was absent or merely not commented upon (particularly for common or minor toxicity). The (X%) results indicate incidence only in those studies where the side effect was specifically commented upon. It is likely that the true incidence lies between these two values.
a
Several larger studies reported alopecia in most or all patients, without giving a numerical value.