INTRAOPERATIVE RADIOTHERAPY FOR PANCREATIC-CARCINOMA

Intraoperative radiotherapy (TORT) with an electron beam is a therapeu tic modality employed predominantly in tumours with a high risk of loc al recurrence. In this department 35 patients with proven adenocarcino ma of the pancreas underwent surgery and IORT, while 41 patients under went surgery only. Irradiated patients suffered more serious postopera tive complications (21 per cent versus 7 per cent), spent more time in hospital (32 days versus 26 days) and did not show a survival advanta ge (median of 326 days versus 366 days for two patients with curative resection). Anastomotic breakdown (twp patients), abscess formation (t wo patients) and pancreatitis in the pancreatic remnant (one patients) occurred only in this group. It is concluded that IORT may increase t he risk of postoperative complications. As, on the basis of experiment al data, an additional serious long-term risk is to be expected, appli cation of IORT should be limited to well controlled study conditions.