[Radiation therapy in renal adenocarcinoma (author's transl)]

Sole irradiation treatment for renal carcinoma or its metastases has to be regarded as only a palliative therapy, whereas postoperative radiation therapy brings about a distinct diminution of the frequency of local recurrences, and, at least in advanced tumor stages, an improvement of the 5-year survival rate. Long-term preirradiation (ca 3000 rd TD within 3 weeks, and operation after another three weeks) or short-term pre-irradiation (ca 1200 to 2000 rd TD within 2 or 4 days, and operation the next day) are tolerated well and do involve no disturbances of the wound healing. Surgical treatment is not complicated by short-term irradiation, but often is easier following long-term irradiation; beyond this, the latter may just render possible a radical extirpation of the renal tumor. It appears from first results that decrease of distant spread and improvement of recovery rates in advanced tumor stages may be within reach, particularly in connection with post-operative irradiation.