title: A combined therapeutic approach for the management of advanced stages of rectal cancer.
abstract: Patients with moderately advanced, inoperable, recurrent or metastatic rectal cancer, referred to the R.R.T.I. since December 1970 till December 1973, were treated with combined therapeutic regimens that differed according to the stage of the disease. Patients with border operability rectal cancer were treated with preoperative radiotherapy (with or without 5-FU combination) followed by radical surgery within two weeks. Those treated with preoperative radiotherapy + surgery (group I) showed a survival rate of 62 per cent at 48 months while those treated with combined preoperative radiotherapy + 5-FU followed by surgery (group II) showed a survival rate of 78 per cent at 48 months. As for the inoperable patients (group IV) and the recurrent cases of the rectal amputation (group V) who were treated with a split course of combined radiotherapy + 5-FU, they showed a mean survival of 20 and 48 months respectively. Patients in groups III and VI were very few to yield any meaningful results. Detailed treatment policies, techniques and results are also discussed.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D005472:Fluorouracil