[Therapy trends in the prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea after pelvic and abdominal irradiation. Results of a tricenter study].
OBJECTIVE
Radiotherapy induced diarrhea and convulsive pain are severe side-effects of irradiation of the pelvis and the abdomen leading often to an interruption of the treatment. Up to now these side-effects were only treated symptomatically, prophylactic therapies are not known.


METHODS
During the years 1992 and 1993 174 patients who obtained radiotherapy in the pelvis or the abdomen because of different malignancies were observed referring to the diarrhea-prophylactic effect of Smectite (= Skilpin). 80 patients received Smectite at the beginning of radiotherapy, 94 patients of the control group were treated with motility modifying drugs when diarrhea appeared. The following parameters were compared: Frequency, consistence and incontinence of stool, tenesmus and the onset of diarrhea.


RESULTS
67.0% (n = 63) of the patients in the control group developed diarrhea, whereas in the pretreated Smectite-group only 37.5% of the cases (n = 30) developed diarrhea. The first appearance of diarrhea was at day 17 in the pretreated group and averagely at day 11 in the control group. 44% of the patients in the control group suffered from tenesmus versus 25% in the Smectite-group.


CONCLUSIONS
In comparison to the symptomatic treatment of radiation enteritis the prophylactic application of Smectite is able to reduce the diarrhea from the beginning of radiotherapy or at least to reduce the pathological frequency of stool and therefore to increase the quality of life.
Hombrink
J
J
Strahlenklinik.
Voss
A C
AC
Fröhlich
D
D
Glatzel
M
M
Krauss
A
A
Glaser
F H
FH
D000005:Abdomen / Q000528:radiation effects*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010388:Pelvis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D017640:Silicates; D013997:Time Factors; D014565:Urogenital Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy
D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D017640:Silicates; C033214:Smectite
Therapieansätze zur Prophylaxe der strahleninduzierten Diarrhoe nach Becken- und Abdominalbestrahlung. Ergebnisse einer trizentrischen Untersuchung.