Treatment of carcinoma of the rectum by intracavitary irradiation.
Intracavitary direct contact irradiation can be used in the treatment of carefully selected patients with carcinoma of the rectum. The treatments last three minutes and are adminstered on an out-patient basis for three to five treatments with no limitation of activity. The treatments are given two weeks apart. In 25 patients, there has been no morbidity or mortality as a result of the treatments. In two patients, poorly differentiated carcinomas were not controlled, and subsequent abdominoperineal resection was required. This method of treatment should be available to more radiotherapists so the actual potential of this modality can be ascertained.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*