UNRESECTABLE COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA - 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH PATIENTSTREATED WITH RADICAL OR PALLIATIVE EXTERNAL-BEAM RADIOTHERAPY IN GREECE

Our analysis presents a group of 86 patients with unresectable colorec tal cancer who were treated with radical or palliative external beam r adiotherapy from 1979-1990 at the Radiation Oncology Department of Gre ek Anticancer Institute, St. Savvas Hospital, Athens. The dose applied to the tumor area was 20-50 Gy in 2-6 weeks. A CAT-scan guided boost field portal to the primary tumor bed and immediately adjacent nodes w as also used. Irradiation was given with a Co-60 unit or a 6 MeV Linea r Accelerator using a two, three or 4-field technique. Complete sympto matic relief was achieved in 90% of patients with rectal bleeding, 63% with pain and 37% with mucous discharge. Although the majority of our patients received a higher than 40Gy radiation dose, we have seen sym ptomatic relief in up to 90% of patients treated with 20-30 Gy in 2-3 weeks. However, the duration of improvement in symptomatic relief of o ur patients was better for those who had been given higher doses of ra diation therapy. The radiation dose was sufficient to relieve symptoms in 40 patients (46.5%) for more than 12 months and in 20 patients (23 .2%) for 8-12 months.