ABSTRACT
A reduction in toxicity is seen in parallel with radiation technological advances such as image guided intensity modulated radiotherapy. The irradiation field usually encompasses healthy intestinal tissue, which can result in gastrointestinal radiation-induced toxicity and up to half of pelvic-radiation treated patients say that their quality of life is affected by gastrointestinal symptoms. Dose-volume histograms have been the standard reporting method for dosimetric features and to correlate with toxicity outcomes. Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic data for acute toxicity relating to the small bowel centered around 6 studies from rectal and gynaecological malignancies with quantitative dose-volume analysis. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) makes it possible to increase bowel sparing, which is the dose-limiting normal tissue when treating the pelvis. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0822 was initiated to determine whether the use of IMRT could decrease the rate of gastrointestinal toxicity when radiotherapy was combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer.
