Incomplete repair
If repair takes longer than the interval between the fractions, then the approach described in the page devoted to the simple fractionation conversion is not applicable. The following table (data taken from Basic Clinical Radiobiology) gives repair time for the normal tissues.
| Endpoint | Repair half time, h |
|---|---|
| Erythema, skin | 0.35 and 1.2 (two repair components) |
| Mucositis, head and neck | 2–4 |
| Laryngeal oedema | 4.9 |
| Radiation myelopathy | > 5 |
| Skin telangiectasia | 0.4 and 3.5-3.8 (two repair components) |
| Subcutaneous fibrosis | 4.4 |
| Temporal lobe necrosis | > 4 |
| Various pelvic complications | 1.5–2.5 |
For the interval between the fractions significantly longer than the time given in the table we can assume that a complete repair took place. However, for shorter interfractional intervals complete repair does not take place leading to effectively higher dose per fraction and, therefore, worse side effects.
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