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Definition of Radiation fibrosis
Medically reviewed by Dr. Otari Nergadze, Neurosurgeon | Updated: January 2026
Radiation fibrosis: Scarring of the lungs from radiation. Radiation fibrosis is a consequence of the repair process that follows radiation pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs due to radiation), as from radiation therapy. Radiation fibrosis typically occurs within months to a few years after the completion of radiation treatments. Whereas the inflammation of radiation pneumonitis is often reversible with medications, radiation fibrosis is usually irreversible and permanent.