Hormonal therapy in chronic radiation colitis.
Severe gastrointestinal bleeding is a rare complication of radiation therapy that requires frequent transfusions. This case report describes a patient with severe bleeding from radiation colitis after treatment of bladder cancer. During 5 months of therapy with multiple drugs, the patient needed 26 units of packed red cells. A subsequent hormone therapy consisting of an estrogen-progesterone combination significantly reduced the need for blood transfusions and hospitalization. We conclude that hormones might provide a promising new additional symptomatic therapy for bleeding radiogenic colitis.
Wurzer
H
H
General Hospital of Graz, 2nd Medical Department, University Clinic of Surgery, Austria.
Schafhalter-Zoppoth
I
I
Brandstätter
G
G
Stranzl
H
H
D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003092:Colitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery
D004338:Drug Combinations; D004967:Estrogens; D011374:Progesterone