Effects of radiation therapy on skeletal growth in childhood.

Ionizing radiation was used to treat childhood cancer long before the advent of chemotherapy, and it took little time for physicians to appreciate the deleterious effects it had on skeletal growth. The cause of this complication results predominantly from alteration of chondroblastic activity. This may stem directly from irradiation at the epiphyseal plate or indirectly from irradiation of glands that secrete growth-mediating hormones. The complication can go far beyond the obvious physical afflictions and extend into the psychologic domain, rendering deeper, more permanent scars. Presently, many of these effects are predictable, reducible, and treatable without compromising the cure that so often depends on the use of irradiation. Because of the complexities of childhood cancer therapy, strategies aimed at diminishing these effects are challenging. It is imperative that these effects be understood so that they can be reduced in current patients and prevented in future patients.