Wound healing considerations in chemotherapy and radiation therapy

Abstract

Adjunctive radiation and chemotherapy have evolved to increase the survival rates and disease-free intervals that can be accomplished with surgical resection. We have reviewed the salient effects these agents have on wound healing. Further investigations into the specific wound-healing deficits caused by these agents and the development of interventional therapies will enable us to manipulate the wound milieu in order to accomplish the goal of oncologic cytoreductive therapy without detrimental effects on wound healing.