CT diagnosis and radiotherapy of local recurrences after surgical treatment of the carcinoma of the rectum

Computed tomography plays an important role in radiotherapy, especially in case of local recurrences after surgical treatment of a carcinoma of the rectum: it is important for the pretherapeutic diagnosis of the tumor, for the localization diagnosis, when the irradiation plan is established, and for checking-up the therapy effect. During the last two years, 37 patients with presacral recurrences were irradiated with high doses and examined before and after treatment. There was no difficulty to discern the foreign tissue presenting the density of soft tissue and to differentiate between recurrences and postoperative fibroses if the patients showed the typical pains. Normally a very good clinical result, but only few regressions of the tumor are achieved by a dose of 80 Gy within the rotation axis. (orig.)