Radiation therapy of post-surgical recurrences of the rectal carcinoma

An analysis has been made of the survival and symptomatic response of 41 patients following radiation therapy for post-surgical recurrences of rectal carcinoma. The over-all median survival time was 8.0 months. From the investigation of prognostic factors by log-rank test, the recurrence sites were found to be a factor which influenced the survival rate with a fair statistical significance (p<0.005). When recurrence was seen at the primary site alone, median survival was 14.3 months compared with 4.0 months for patients combined with distant metastasis. Of 41 patients, 27 had a complete pain relief, 7 a partial pain relief and 7 no pain relief. Median pain relief free survival time was 11.8 months. The pain relief free survival rate seems to be increased in the group with a multiple daily fractionation and a short over-all time in radiotherapy, but was of no statistical significance. (author)