Therapeutic Modification of Hypoxia

Regions of reduced oxygenation (hypoxia) are a characteristic feature virtually all animal and human solid tumours. Numerous preclinical studies, both in vitro vivo, have shown that decreasing oxygen concentration induces resistance to radiation. Importantly, hypoxia tumours is negative indicator radiotherapy outcome. Hypoxia also contributes other cancer therapeutics, including immunotherapy, increases malignant progression as well cell dissemination. Consequently, substantial effort has been made detect identify realistic approaches overcome improve therapy outcomes. Hypoxia-targeting strategies include improving availability, sensitising hypoxic cells radiation, preferentially killing these cells, locating the regions increasing radiation dose those areas, or applying high energy transfer which less affected by hypoxia. Despite numerous clinical studies with each hypoxia-modifying approaches, many improved local tumour control overall survival, modification not established routine practice. Here we review background significance hypoxia, how it can be imaged clinically focus on various techniques undergone, currently in, evaluation.