Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 7/5/2007

Question
QUESTION: Can Colon cancer diagnosed as stage 2 be treated by radiotherapy treatment only with no surgical intervention ?and if thats the case it is the best practice and how many sessions usually needed for such a treatment ? what is the side effect on young female patients for such a treatment? thank you for ur reply

ANSWER: Colon cancers are usually not very sensitive to radiation (except for rectal cancers). So usually it is not used at all for them. Re<ctal cancers are usually sensitive BUT is ONLY used in combination with surgery in a preoperative manner (before surgery). Around 4500cGy is the normal total dose given in portions of around 200 cGY per day 5 days per week, so for a period of around 4.5 weeks. If only 100 cGy is the dose then treatment time is doubled to 9 weeks. In order to make surgery possible not too much radiation can be given.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you very much for your response have u heard about any kind of radiotherapy that is given once a week for a 24 weeks period?totalling 24 sessions?and in case this kind of therapy is used what is the side effect?and why is it used in a long approach not the normal way which you have kindly stated 4 to 5 weeks

Answer
This does not sound as being a good therapy. There is an upper limit to how much radiation you can give at one time! So with just one session per week this therapy probably will be very inefficient! Furthermore radiation has as I mentioned hardly any place in ordinary colon cancer therapy. To evaluate this suggested therapy better I would need all details about this case!