title: Morbidity and Mortality Following Short Course Preoperative Radiotherapy in Rectal Carcinoma.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the morbidity and mortality in patients with operable stage II and III rectal cancers within one or two months after surgery, who has been treated pre-operatively with short course radiotherapy. Twenty-eight patients with rectal adenocarcinoma, consecutively referred to the Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini Hospital from March 2009 to March 2010, were selected for the study after staging by endorectal ultrasound and CT of abdomen, pelvis, and chest; and if they had inclusion criteria for short course schedule, they were treated with radiotherapy alone at 2500 cGy for 5 sessions, and then they were referred to the surgical service for operation one week later. They were visited there by a surgeon unaware of the research who completed a questionnaire about pre-operative, operative, and post-operative complications. Of 28 patients, 25 patients underwent either APR or LAR surgery with TME. One patient developed transient anal pain grade I and one patient had dysuria grade I; they were improved in subsequent follow-up. Short course schedule can be performed carefully in patients with staged rectal cancer without concerning about serious complications. This shorter treatment schedule is cost-effective and would be more convenient for patients due to fewer trips to the hospital and the main treatment, i.e. operating the patient, will be done with the shortest time the following diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farshid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Sadegh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fazeli
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Samiei
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aghili
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Peiman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gholami
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansoureh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nabavi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Rectal carcinoma; Short-course preoperative radiotherapy