[Organ toxicity of medicinal tumor therapy: morphological correlates].

CLINICAL/METHODOLOGICAL ISSUE: In antineoplastic chemotherapy classical cytostatic drugs are increasingly being supplemented by antibodies and so-called targeted therapies. In addition to the antineoplastic effect and general intolerance quite characteristic morphological changes can often be found and identified by the radiologist. The distinction between findings indicating side effects versus tumor progression or an infectious etiology is essential. FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES: Classical antineoplastic chemotherapy interacts with DNA and RNA synthesis, DNA repair or the mitosis process. In contrast modern targeted anticancer therapies act at the level of signal transduction pathways.Localized, organ-related changes are related to the metabolic characteristics of organs or anatomical features such as the properties of the local blood-tissue barrier. Toxicity associated findings often resemble fulminant tumor progression. EVALUATION: In new targeted anti-cancer therapies toxicity often occurs in a non-cumulative way; therefore, morphological changes are often precursors of the manifestation of clinical toxicity. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: Oncological radiology requires increasingly active interdisciplinary dialogue in order to delineate morphological correlates of organ toxicity against tumor progression and initiate appropriate therapeutic measures.