[What does the general and abdominal surgeon need to know about oncologically oriented radiotherapy?]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Surgical Oncology

Context:

• Radiotherapy is a cornerstone in multimodal cancer treatment, impacting palliative and curative strategies.
• Abdominal surgery patients often require radiotherapy, presenting clinical and interdisciplinary challenges.
• This review focuses on radiotherapy's role in treating visceral tumors, particularly in rectal, esophageal, anal, and liver cancers.

Purpose:

• To provide oncological surgeons with a practice-relevant overview of radiotherapy options for visceral tumors.
• To highlight current literature and clinical experiences in radiotherapy for specific abdominal cancers.
• To emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary tumor board discussions.

Summary:

• Total neoadjuvant therapy may allow rectal cancer resection avoidance with close monitoring.
• Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by resection is preferred for esophageal cancer.
• Definitive chemoradiotherapy is recommended for anal cancer, and stereotactic radiotherapy can ablate liver tumors.

Impact:

• Optimizing radiotherapy integration into surgical oncology enhances patient treatment strategies.
• Non-operative management and advanced radiotherapy techniques can improve outcomes for visceral malignancies.
• Effective interdisciplinary communication is crucial for personalized cancer therapy and improved patient prognosis.