Acute toxicity after a diverting stoma and spacer prior to chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer

Abstract

Abstract Background and purpose Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery is the standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). For grade ≥3 acute diarrhea there is a relationship between dose and irradiated small bowel volume. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether combined placement of a diverting stoma and sigmoid spacer (DSSS) led to reduced irradiated small bowel volume and less grade ≥3 acute diarrhea in the treatment of LARC. Materials/methods Between 2003 and 2010, 54 of 189 LARC patients treated with CRT in two institutions had a DSSS prior to CRT. Data on patient and treatment characteristics and outcomes were collected retrospectively. Delineation of small bowel was performed with planning CT-scans. CTCAE version 4.0 was used for acute toxicity. Results Patients with a DSSS had significantly less small bowel volume irradiated up to doses of 20 Gy. This difference was not observed for the higher dose levels. CRT induced grade ≥3 acute diarrhea was not different between the two groups (8.3% vs. 12.8%; p = 0.41). Conclusion DSSS is not clearly beneficial to reduce grade ≥3 acute diarrhea, and it must be considered whether placement of a DSSS is justified for this purpose.