PURPOSE: In spite of improved surgical techniques and the use of multiple modality treatment schemes the local recurrence rate of colorectal carcinomas could not be successfully reduced up to now. Besides surgical treatment of local recurrences in some cases radiation therapy may be indicated. PATIENTS AND METHOD: In the Department of Radiotherapy of the University of Münster 37 patients with recurrent rectal carcinoma were treated between the end of 1985 and September 1992 either with fast neutrons alone or with a combined photon-neutron therapy. Eighteen patients received radiotherapy with fast neutrons (14 MeV d,T) alone; the tumor dose was between 10 and 15 Gy neutrons. Nineteen patients were irradiated with a mixed-beam schedule consisting of 30 to 45 Gy photons (X 10 MV) and neutron doses ranging from 5 to 10 Gy. RESULTS: In 30 patients a good or complete pain relief could be observed immediately after the last irradiation. Sixteen out of 37 patients had local tumor regrowth during the follow-up period. The median survival for all 37 patients was 15.9 months. The probability for survival was 86% after 6 months and 61% after 12 months (Kaplan-Meier). The side effects were slight to moderate (EORTC/RTOG I-II). CONCLUSIONS: This therapy showed good results concerning a fast and effective pain relief. Additionally the results seem to show a good effect concerning local control and overall survival in this negatively selected patients.
PURPOSE: In spite of improved surgical techniques and the use of multiple modality treatment schemes the local recurrence rate of colorectal carcinomas could not be successfully reduced up to now. Besides surgical treatment of local recurrences in some cases radiation therapy may be indicated. PATIENTS AND METHOD: In the Department of Radiotherapy of the University of Münster 37 patients with recurrent rectal carcinoma were treated between the end of 1985 and September 1992 either with fast neutrons alone or with a combined photon-neutron therapy. Eighteen patients received radiotherapy with fast neutrons (14 MeV d,T) alone; the tumor dose was between 10 and 15 Gy neutrons. Nineteen patients were irradiated with a mixed-beam schedule consisting of 30 to 45 Gy photons (X 10 MV) and neutron doses ranging from 5 to 10 Gy. RESULTS: In 30 patients a good or complete pain relief could be observed immediately after the last irradiation. Sixteen out of 37 patients had local tumor regrowth during the follow-up period. The median survival for all 37 patients was 15.9 months. The probability for survival was 86% after 6 months and 61% after 12 months (Kaplan-Meier). The side effects were slight to moderate (EORTC/RTOG I-II). CONCLUSIONS: This therapy showed good results concerning a fast and effective pain relief. Additionally the results seem to show a good effect concerning local control and overall survival in this negatively selected patients.
Authors: Stephanie E Combs; Meinhard Kieser; Daniel Habermehl; Jürgen Weitz; Dirk Jäger; Piero Fossati; Roberto Orrechia; Rita Engenhart-Cabillic; Richard Pötter; Manjit Dosanjh; Oliver Jäkel; Markus W Büchler; Jürgen Debus Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2012-04-03 Impact factor: 4.430