TEMPORAL CHANGES IN NEURO-IMMUNO ENDOCRINE SYSTEM WITH ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY FOR ADVANCED RECTAL-CANCER

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of adjuvant radio therapy for advanced rectal cancers on the human neuro-immuno-endocrin e system. Fifty-seven patients with rectal cancer were investigated. A bdominoperineal resection (APR) was carried out on all of them. The le vels of serum IAP in 4-12 weeks after operation were significantly hig her in the preoperative radiotherapy group compared with those of non- preoperatively irradiated (p<0.05). With preoperative radiotherapy, se rum IAP levels in patients with postoperative intracavitary cone irrad iation returned to normal values within three months of operation; how ever, those with postoperative external pelvic il radiation continued to be significantly elevated until six months after operation. We conc lude that preoperative radiotherapy combined with postoperative extern al pelvic irradiation is likely to exert unfavorable effects on the hu man immune-endocrine system.