RT Journal
A1 O'Connor JJ
T1 ARgon laser treatment of radiation proctitis
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 1989
FD June 1
VO 124
IS 6
SP 749
OP 749
DO 10.1001/archsurg.1989.01410060121027
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.1989.01410060121027
AB • Radiation therapy for malignant gynecologic disease and prostatic cancer has resulted in increased survival and cure rates. This modality has unfortunately produced debilitating radiation proctitis. Recently, five patients were seen with continuous rectal bleeding secondary to radiation disease of the rectum. Four of these patients were women who were being treated for cervical carcinoma and one was a man with prostatic cancer. These patients were refractory to steroid retention enemas, iron therapy, and benproperine enema therapy. Treatment was accomplished using the argon laser with a 300-μm fiber passed via flexible fiberoptic sigmoidoscope. The most proximal areas were treated first. One and a half watts at 0.5 pulses was used. Up to 50 pulses were delivered per therapy session. The fiber was placed in contact with the lesion and circumferentially for 0.5 cm surrounding each suspected area. Bleeding stopped in the four women after two sessions and in the man after four sessions.(Arch Surg 1989;124:749)