Previous studies have shown that low-dose, whole lung radiation in the form of X-rays can effectively treat severe pneumonia, with minimal side effects. Two clinical trials are applying a modern version of this concept to test patients who have acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as a result of COVID-19 infection.
For these trials, patients will undergo a single treatment of whole lung radiation to target and reduce pulmonary inflammation associated with COVID-19 infection in two separate phase II clinical trials. The studies are led by Arnab Chakravarti, MD, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at The Ohio State University
