Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39936613›Full record

SynthesisClinical and translational science2025

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Low Dose Radiation Therapy for COVID-19 Pneumonia: Learnings of 4 Years Since Pandemic.

Usha Yadav, Balvinder Kaur Sapra

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical and translational science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Implementing a low-dose radiation therapy program for musculoskeletal pain disorders: tips, tricks, and essentials for clinical researchers.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Usha YadavRadiological Physics & Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, India.ORCID 0000-0003-2045-0618
Balvinder Kaur SapraRadiological Physics & Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

COVID-19 caused a worldwide pandemic resulting in break of demand-supply chain in all aspects of healthcare, high mortality rates, and a constant quest for effective treatment modalities. Based on historical and recent evidences of anti-inflammatory effects of low dose of ionizing radiation, several healthcare professionals proposed low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) along with ongoing pharmacological treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia. A positive response in a few initial studies led to systematic trials by increasing the number of patients in the range of 0.5-1.5 Gy. However, the concerns of radiation-induced risks were also raised in parallel. In the present article, we have highlighted the basis of LDRT for COVID-19 therapy. We have reviewed the available literature, specifically for outcomes on various clinical trials carried out with LDRT. Meta-analysis was performed to identify if any survival benefits are offered by addition of LDRT over pharmacological treatment alone among COVID-19 pneumonia patients. Other clinical recovery parameters such as intubation rates, oxygenation status, anti-inflammatory response have also been compared. Overall data trends favored LDRT with standard pharmacological treatment against control cohort which received standard treatment alone at all the endpoints in majority studies. LDRT addition resulted in significantly higher odds of survival than control cohort. Among critical and/or mechanically ventilated patients, LDRT did not show any promising outcomes over the control group. In conclusion, LDRT may serve as a promising complementary treatment modality with a potential of better prognosis, provided the patient selection criteria are critically identified and implemented.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 Drug TreatmentHumansPandemicsRadiotherapy DosageSARS-CoV-2Treatment OutcomeCOVID‐19LDRTlow‐dose radiation therapySARS‐CoV‐2

Identifiers

PMID39936613
PMCPMC11815568

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.