Different dose fractionation irradiation schedules have been evaluated in a randomized Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study to determine their palliative effectiveness in patients with osseous metastases. The frequency, promptness and duration of pain relief were utilized as measures of response. Ninety percent of patients experienced some relief of pain and 54% achieved eventual complete pain relief. Important prognosticators included the initial pain score and the site of the primary lesions. Administration of steroid or chemotherapy during the one‐month on‐study period did not influence the frequency of pain relief. The low‐dose, short‐course schedules were as effective as the high‐dose protracted programs.

Seven hundred ninety‐five patients were adenocarcinomas of the proximal colon were reviewed. Two hundred forty‐five patients presented with disseminated disease at the time of diagnosis, and were analyzed to identify mechanisms and sites of disease spread. Five hundred fifty patients underwent radical resection, and were followed for a minimum of 48 months or until time of documented relapse. One hundred eightysix patients (34%) manifested recurrent carcinoma, 64 (34.5%) of whom underwent second laparotomy at the time of initial recurrence. In 139 patients (74.5%), the distribution of clinical recurrence was confined to the abdomen, retroperitoneum, and liver. Prognostic influence of initial stage and tumor grade are analyzed, and possible implications for surgical staging and adjuvant therapy are discussed.

Three hundred and fifty-five patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon were retrospectively reviewed. One hundred and eighteen patients who had disseminated disease at diagnosis were analyzed to identify sites and mechanisms of disease spread. Two hundred and thirty-seven patients treated by surgery alone with curative intent were analyzed to determine clinical patterns of recurrence and identify prognostic factors. Operative findings in 27 patients undergoing second laparotomy at the time of initial disease recurrence are described, and implications for adjuvant therapy discussed.