ASSESSMENT OF SMALL-INTESTINAL DAMAGE IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH PELVICRADIOTHERAPY

Pelvic radiotherapy almost always induces intestinal symptoms. We inve stigated the radiation-induced damage to the small intestinal mucosa a nd evaluated its relationship with symptoms, using cellobiose/mannitol permeability test (CE/MA) and plasma postheparin diamine oxidase test (PHD) in 20 patients treated with pelvic radiotherapy. The symptoms d eveloped during radiotherapy were noted. Intestinal permeability signi ficantly (p=0.013) increased from 0.021 +/- 0.026 to 0.047 +/- 0.055 ( mean +/- SD) after 15 days of radiotherapy, while it returned to norma l values (0.010 +/- 0.015) at the end of radiotherapy. PHD values did not change. All patients developed intestinal symptoms. These findings indicate that pelvic radiotherapy induces an early small bowel mucosa damage followed by mucosal adaptation. Acute intestinal symptoms duri ng pelvic radiotherapy may not depend only on small intestinal mucosal damage.