Acute small-bowel toxicity during neoadjuvant combined radiochemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: determination of optimal dose-volume cut-off value predicting grade 2–3 diarrhoea

摘要

BackgroundCurrent therapeutic standard for locally advanced rectal cancer is the neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy with total mesorectal excision. Diarrhoea is the main acute side effect, induced by the dose to the small-bowel, frequently leading to a treatment modification. Aim of this study was to analyse the differences between the irradiated small-bowel volumes and the occurrence of acute diarrhea during combined radiochemotherapy for rectal cancer.