Radiotherapy in marginal resectable and non-resectable rectum cancer

66 patients with inoperable rectum cancer were treated with megavoltage irradiation. These patients were studied in order to see if high dose radiotherapy could cure inoperable patients. No patients were cured. The palliative effect was important, because in most patients a colostomy was avoided. 21 patients with marginal resectable rectum cancer received preoperative irradiation. The effect of combined therapy in this highly selected group of patients gives an indication for a 50% 5-year cure rate.