[Combination therapy of rectal cancer using 198Au]

The authors analyzed the results of therapy of 2 groups of patients with stage I-III rectal cancer. Combined therapy of 92 patients included preoperative large fractional radiotherapy at a total focal dose of 20-25 Gy, radical operation and i.v. injection of 1.48-1.85 GBq of 198Au shortly after the operation. The control group of 131 patients underwent surgery only. The groups did not differ significantly in the main prognostic characteristics. The combined therapeutic method was shown to be more effective than surgery alone, and the 5-year survival rates were 70.6 +/- 5.2 and 55.4 +/- 4.91% respectively (P X2 less than 0.05). The frequency of postoperative complications and lethality were not increased. Leukopenia was of temporary nature and disappeared either by itself or as a result of leukostimulating and substitution therapy.