Preoperative Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Rectal Carcinoma

Abstract

According to the published data there are 10–65% local recurrences after radical surgical intervention of rectal carcinoma depending on pre-treatment conditions and surgical techniques (1, 2). Also treatment results and disease free survival strongly depend on effective use of pre- and postoperative radiotherapy. It is well known that the main reasons for local recurrences are that cancer cells have been left in the pelvic lymph system and that biologically active malignant cells have been disseminated during the intervention to the diseased area. Preoperative radiotherapy may significantly decrease the vitality of malignant cells and block the mitochondrial activity of the tumor peripheral cells.