Skeletal Radiol 1996 Aug;25(6):537-43 
<b>MR characterization of post-irradiation soft tissue edema.</b> 
Richardson ML, Zink-Brody GC, Patten RM, Koh WJ, Conrad EU. Department of Radiology SB-05, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. 

...Radiation therapy is often used to treat bone und soft tissue neoplasms, and commonly results in soft tissue edema in the radiation field. However, the time course, distribution and degree of this edema have not been well characterized. .... Muscle, on the other hand, showed a decrease in size following treatment. This was mild for the photon-treated group and more marked for the neutron-treated group. ...<b>There is a relatively wide variation in the duration and degree of post-irradiation edema in soft tissues. This edema seems to persist longer in the intramuscular septa than in fat or muscle. Although the duration of follow-up was limited, our study suggests that this edema resolves in roughly half the photon-treated patients within 2-3 years post-treatment and in less than 20% of neutron-treated patients by 3-4 years post-treatment. Muscle atrophy was seen in both photon- and neutron-treated patients, but was more severe in the neutron-treated group.</b> 
&&url PMID: 8865487 


Cancer 1982 Apr 15;49(8):1597-604 
<b>The growth rate of bone sarcomas and survival after radiotherapy with tourniquet-induced hypoxia: a clinical study.</b> 
Balmukhanov SB, Turdugulov I, Karibjanova Z, Revesz L. 
... Radiation therapy was given with three--four doses of 20--25 Gy to the tumors that, together with the surrounding normal tissues, had been made hypoxic by the application of a tourniquet. <b>Amputations were not performed unless required eventually by some serious late radiation damage, such as grave functional deficiency, and/or painful fibrosis and ankyloses.</b> In no case did microscopic examination of the amputated tissues reveal the persistence of any viable, neoplastic cells. The five-year survival of a total of 69 patients was 26%. Survival expectancy was found to be closely related to the volume doubling time of the tumors, as was the incidence of the metastases. The data stress the importance of volume doubling time as a predictive factor and indicate, furthermore, that treatment with a few massive radiation doses in combination with tourniquet-induced hypoxia is effective in the local control of bone sarcomas. <b>The several late reaction of the normal tissues to the treatment will, however, require amputations in most of the five-year survivors.</b> 
&&url PMID: 7066865 


Vestn Khir Im I I Grek 1980 Jul;125(7):53-9 
<b>[Secondary (radiation) edemas of the extremities].</b> [Article in Russian] 
Tsyb AF, Bardychev MS, Guseva LI. 
The results of clinical examinations and treatment of 96 patients with secondary (radiation) edemas of the extremities developing in late terms after radiation therapy of malignant tumors are discussed. The edema genesis is associated both with immediate radiation damage of lymph and blood vessels (veins), and with fibrous alterations of tissues in the radiation zone. 
&&url PMID: 7414894