title: Survival of patients with radiation enteritis of the small and the large intestine.
abstract: We reviewed the clinical and survival data of 108 consecutive patients who presented with radiation enteritis between 1965 and 1981. One hundred and two (94%) had been irradiated for carcinoma of the cervix uteri. The median follow-up was of 11 years. The median time of occurrence of severe radiation-induced lesions (obstruction, perforation) after radiotherapy was of 18 months, against 10.5 months for mild symptoms (e.g., tenesmus) and 9 months for rectal bleeding (p < 0.001). Cox survival analysis taking into account the stage of the cancer and the age at diagnosis showed that rectal bleeding is a factor with a prognosis significantly poorer than the mild symptoms (p = 0.05), equivalent to that of the severe complications. We conclude that in the evaluation of patients who underwent radiotherapy for abdominal or pelvic tumours, rectal bleeding should be considered as a sign of serious radiation-induced complication.
authors.affiliation: Service of Oncologic Surgery, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgiumx
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Libotte
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Autier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delmelle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gozy
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pector
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Houtte
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerard
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004751:Enteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008551:Melena / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D016019:Survival Analysis