Cell kinetics

Abstract

Cell kinetic concepts have pervaded radiation therapy since the early part of the 20th century and have been instrumental in the development of modern radiotherapy. In this review, the fundamental radiobiological concepts that have been developed based on cell kinetic knowledge will be revisited and discussed in the context of contemporary radiation therapy. This will include how the proliferation characteristics, variation in sensitivity during the cell cycle and the extent of radiation-induced cell cycle delay translate into a variable time for the expression of damage, how cell kinetics interacts with hypoxia and how the response to fractionated radiation schedules is influenced by cell kinetics in terms of repair, redistribution, reoxygenation and repopulation. The promise of combining radiation with new biologically targeted agents and the potential of non-invasive positron emission tomography imaging of proliferation are areas where cell kinetics will continue to influence radiotherapy practice.