Intestinal complications of wide field abdominal irradiation for XXXX .

@entity1 @entity29 @entity706 @entity1681
We report bowel complications on a series of 32 @entity1 treated with wide field abdominal irradiation for @entity706 between 1979 and 1983. Irradiation was preceded by chemotherapy in 30/32 @entity1 . Fifteen of the 32 @entity1 received total abdominal irradiation and 17/32 received upper hemi-abdominal irradiation to a dose of 20-25 Gy. A boost of 5-20 Gy to a reduced volume was added in 14/32. A special diet was prescribed from the start of irradiation. Immediate tolerance to irradiation was good in 94% of @entity1 . Only five @entity1 developed @entity29 . Definite radiation-induced bowel changes were demonstrated in only two of these cases and other pathology was found to explain the symptomatology in the remaining three. Comparison with a previous series of 50 @entity706 @entity1 treated with total abdominal irradiation to 30 Gy plus inverted Y boost to 10 Gy demonstrated a net improvement in the immediate tolerance and reduction in the incidence and gravity of delayed @entity29 in the current series. The reasons for the improved early and late bowel tolerance (radiation dose and volume, etc.) as well as conditions which can mimic late radiation @entity1681 , will be discussed.
