Stromal mediation of radiation carcinogenesis

Abstract

Ionizing radiation is a well-established carcinogen in human breast and rodent mammary gland. This review addresses evidence that radiation elicits the critical stromal context for cancer, affecting not only frequency but the type of cancer. Recent data from the breast tumors of women treated with radiation therapy and the cellular mechanisms evident in experimental models suggest that radiation effects on stromal-epithelial interactions and tissue composition are a major determinant of cancer development. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010.