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How do you manage/treat acute radiation-induced enteritis?

Are there any medications that you can prescribe? Diet changes? Does this typically resolve on its own after time?
5 Answers
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Radiation Oncology · University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Answered on

I have no problem with the excellent comments already made. However, I think it is important to add some comments.

First - one needs to be sure that the patient truly has radiation enteritis. Many patients receiving abdominal radiation therapy have other issues that need to be explored first. For ex...

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Radiation Oncology · Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Answered on

The management for acute radiation-induced enteritis is symptomatic in nature, with the best long-term solution being a tincture of time from the completion of radiation.

If a patient has diarrhea (in expected volume and timing, given the recent question about C. Diff evaluation in those receiving p...

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Radiation Oncology · Generations Radiotherapy and Oncology PC
Answered on

This is a relative passion of mine! Oftentimes, radiation enteritis is the result of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a phenomenon described (and demonstrated with lactulose hydrogen breath testing) in numerous abdominal and pelvic radiotherapy patients (ref: Jahraus et al., Community O...

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Radiation Oncology · University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Answered on · Updated on

Very nice discussion. During pelvic RT, patients often ask, "what should I eat?" Our answers are usually driven from a mix of anecdotal/personal experience, oncolore, but limited evidence. I used to be fairly dogmatic about fiber avoidance when I started practice because that's how I was trained. Th...

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Radiation Oncology · University of Florida
Answered on

I have been at this for awhile and it hasn’t been an issue. See if the RT volumes can be modu. Look for another cause.

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