Abstract

Radiation combination therapy for malignant tumours has increased cancer survival in recent years, increasing the relevance of radiation therapy. Thomas originally described radiation-induced arterial injury (RIAI) in 1959 as a condition in which stenosis and occlusion of blood arteries develop inside the irradiated area following radiation therapy; there have been multiple later studies on this. Although RIAI has been investigated and published, there have been few instances of RIAI in the arteries of the upper limbs, and the clinical characteristics and therapy of this illness have not been completely investigated and established. Irradiation for breast cancer, in particular, can cause stenosis and obstruction in the area extending from the subclavian artery to the axillary artery; however, the associated symptoms resemble those of lymphedema and neuropathy following breast cancer surgery, and it is assumed that diagnosis is difficult, and many patients are missed. As a result, in the case of such patients, a thorough evaluation should be undertaken with RIAI in mind. Because irradiation can cause arteriosclerosis, it is critical that RIAI become widely known; more studies with a bigger sample size should also be done.