Late radiotherapy-induced lower intestinal toxicity (RILIT) of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for prostate cancer: the need for adapting toxicity scales and the appearance of the sigmoid colon as co-responsible organ for lower intestinal toxicity.

PURPOSE

To report on: 1. Late radiotherapy-induced lower intestinal toxicity (RILIT) after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer. 2. The correlation between late RILIT and volume parameters of the rectum, sigmoid colon and small bowel.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included 241 patients with a follow-up of >or=18 months for this analysis. Late RILIT consisted of 8 different symptoms, comprising the 5 symptoms from the RTOG toxicity score supplemented with urgency, fecal incontinence and anal pain. Late RILIT and late RTOG toxicity were scored prospectively and correlated with: 1. Different rectum, sigmoid colon and small bowel volume parameters. 2. Patient-related morbidity. We calculated the median, quartile and percentiles for the different volume parameters and correlated them with grade 1-3 late RILIT.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 42 months. Three patients developed grade 3 red blood loss. We registered grade 2 RILIT and RTOG toxicity in 13% and 10%, respectively, the most frequent grade 1 symptom being fecal urgency. The intermediate rectal volume parameters were significantly correlated with late RILIT. We were able to calculate cut-off dose-volume histograms (DVHs) that predict for grade 0-2 RILIT.

CONCLUSIONS

After IMRT for prostate cancer, the overall incidence of grade >or=2 RILIT is low. Cut-off DVHs can be used for patient counseling.