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Definition |
Patients must be informed about acute and late genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicity and the impact of irradiation on erectile function. In contemporary practice, the NCIC toxicity grading system is increasingly used, but most studies have used the RTOG scales, which are described in Tables 6.8.1 and 6.8.2. Risk factors for acute or late gastrointestinal toxicities after RT include advanced age, preexisting diabetes mellitus,haemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, a history of prior abdominal surgery, larger rectal volume and the concomitant use of androgen deprivation. Pre-treatment genitourinary complaints, prior transurethral resection of the prostate and the presence of acute genitourinary toxicity are suggested as contributing to long-term urinary morbidity.
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