Proctitis after conventional external radiation therapy for prostate cancer: importance of minimizing posterior rectal dose.

Abstract

A high posterior rectal dose (> 5,000 cGy) is associated with increased prevalence of proctitis after radiation therapy.

Novel and Effective Almagate Enema for Hemorrhagic Chronic Radiation Proctitis and Risk Factors for Fistula Development

“…Mild or transient bleeding can experience a spontaneous remission requiring non-specific treatment. Moderate to severe bleeding can progress to severe anemia and threaten lives (Cho et al, 1995;Mallick et al, 2015). Therefore, controlling bleeding by medical agents like almagate and sulcrafate, or other aggressive treatments like endoscopic APC and topical formalin, are very essential for patients to help to safely get through this tough period of bleeding.…”

Rectal Carcinoma: Multi-Modality Approach in Curative Local Treatment of Early Rectal Carcinoma

“…Other side effects include bowel urgency and frequency in the morning which do not generally affect normal life (Gerald et al, 2002). Late toxic effects include rectal fibrosis or stenosis and rectal ulcers with persistent bleeding leading to chronic anaemia have been reported (Birnbaum et al, 1994;Cho et al, 1995;Letschert, 1995).…”

Argon plasma coagulation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in chronic radiation proctopathy, effectiveness and impact on tissue toxicity

“…Radiotherapy exerts an accumulative, progressive, and unpredictable effect on tissue; doses > 50 Gy to abdominal and/or pelvic tumors frequently cause chronic radiation proctopathy (CRP) (1,2). Damage to the rectum is due to its vicinity and the fixed location within the pelvic radiation field (3,4), while tolerance is inversely proportional to the volume of the radiated organ.…”

“…Radiation proctopathy can present acutely in 75-80% of patients and of these, 4-22% will progress to a chronic phase (2,(5)(6)(7)(8). Chronic damage to the intestinal muscle wall decreases vascularity therefore inducing ischemia, submucosal fibrosis and ulceration of the superficial mucosa (9,10).…”