EARLY EXPERIENCE WITH POSTOPERATIVE ADJUVANT CHEMORADIATION FOR RECTAL-CARCINOMA - FOCUS ON MORBIDITY

The morbidity of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation for primary ext raperitoneal rectal carcinoma is documented in this ongoing study. Pat ients who presented electively for resection with ACPS Dukes' B and C extraperitoneal rectal carcinoma during the period January 1990 to Jun e 1993 were studied. Twenty patients received postoperative adjuvant c hemoradiation. At a mean follow up of 32.6 months (s.d. 7.1), three of the 20 patients who received combined adjuvant chemoradiation reporte d no side effects. In 10 patients (50%) complications were classified as minor. In the remaining seven patients (35%) major complications of therapy occurred. There were no deaths. These early results highlight the morbidity of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation that has been presumed but not documented.