| pubmed-article:100199 | pubmed:abstractText | A series of 44 patients with colorectal carcinomas considered unresectable on presentation received preoperative irradiation to a dose of 4500--5000 rad (175--200 rad/day). After a waiting period averaging 6.5 weeks, 38 patients underwent exploration. Complete resection was possible in 27 patients. Of these, 22 patients remained disease-free with a median follow-up of 27 months. While longer follow-up periods are needed, the results indicate that the large percentage of unresectable and therefore surgically incurable colorectal carcinomas can be made resectable by preoperative irradiation, and a significant number of these may have been cured. | lld:pubmed |
