Influence of autophagy on the efficacy of radiotherapy

Autophagy is a vital catabolic process in which cells maintain their homeostasis by digesting and circulating their own cytoplasmic contents. Autophagy could promote and inhibit the development of cancer through various signal pathways. Autophagy has been explored from different aspects. However, few summaries systematically illuminate the relationship between autophagy and radiotherapy. Thus, this review aims to elucidate the effects of autophagy modulations on radio sensitivity and radiotherapy efficacy in various types of cancer. The future development of autophagy modifications for improving radiotherapy efficacy and prognosis of cancer will also be discussed.