[Preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer: target volumes].

Fiche publication


Date publication

octobre 2013

Auteurs

Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Pr MARCHAL Frédéric, Pr PEIFFERT Didier


Tous les auteurs :
Huertas A, Marchal F, Peiffert D, Crehange G

Résumé

Preoperative radiochemotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision is the standard of care for T3-T4-N0 or TxN1 rectal cancer. Defining target volumes relies on the patterns of nodal and locoregional failures. The lower limit of the clinical target volume depends also on the type of surgery. Conformational radiotherapy with or without intensity-modulated radiotherapy implies an accurate definition of volumes and inherent margins in the context of mobile organs such as the upper rectum. Tumoral staging recently improved with newer imaging techniques such as MRI with or without USPIO and FDG-PET-CT. The role of PET-CT remains unclear despite encouraging results and MRI is a helpful tool for a reliable delineation of the gross tumour volume. Co-registration of such modalities with the planning CT may particularly guide radiation oncologists through the gross tumour volume delineation. Acute digestive toxicity can be reduced with intensity modulation radiation therapy. Different guidelines and CT-based atlas regarding the target volumes in rectal cancer give the radiation oncologist a lot of ground for reproducible contours.

Référence

Cancer Radiother. 2013 Oct;17(5-6):477-85