Estimation of rectal radiodoses in gynecologic curietherapy by "small enema".

The Authors suggest a simple, inexpensive and accurate method to evaluate the sigmoid and rectal radiodoses delivered by brachitherapy in the treatment of cervical neoplasia.

[Use of corticotherapy for the prevention of "radiation sickness" in patients subjected to cesium therapy for gynecologic neoplasms]. / L'impiego della corticoterapia come profilassi del "male da raggi" in pazienti sottoposte a cesioterapia per neoplasie ginecologiche.

193 patients treated at Genoa University's Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic for uterine and vaginal neoplasias by remote after-loading caesiotherapy have been studied. 100 patients were given 6-alpha-methylprednisolone hemisuccinate, a corticosteroid derivative, against "radiation disease". Only one patient had to interrupt the treatment as a result of side-effects of the drug and none of the patients showed ill effects traceable to ionising radiation, in contrast with those who only received caesiotherapy (22 out of 93 cases). Given the efficiency and special tolerance of this cortisone derivative, it would appear to be of practical use in the prophylaxis of radiation induced diseases in general.

Computed tomography in the evaluation of advanced cervical cancer.

The authors evaluate the reliability of computed axial tomography in the staging of cervical cancer. This technique, neither invasive nor dangerous for the patient allowed to define better the involvement of perirectal fat tissue and of the external layer of the rectal wall. On the other hand it has some limits, in particular it is aspecific and unable to define exactly morphological changes of lymph-nodes and other structures.

Preliminary evaluation of a new protocol for the actino-therapeutical treatment of uterine cervix carcinoma in stages II and III.

This study concerns 89 patients affected by uterine cervicocarcinoma at stage II or III, hospitalized at the Obstetric and Gynecological Clinic of Genoa University and subjected to transcutaneous (cobalt) and intracavitary (cesium137) actinotherapy. One year after the treatment end, the Authors observed and compared post-actinic troubles in a group of patients who had undergone a classic actinic treatment and in those subjected to a new therapeutical protocol based on dose fractionation. The latter showed a higher incidence of immediate troubles, but a lower percentage of cerviconeoplasia persistence.