Would you offer palliative RT for a patient with a pelvic mass fistulizing to large bowel?
The patient has metastatic ovarian cancer, currently on Avastin, with a large 13 cm pelvic mass with a fistula to large bowel.
Would you consider offering pelvic RT if you waited a for 3-4 week Avastin washout period, and the patient had exhausted other pain management options?
Or alternatively, do you feel this is a case where radiation is contraindicated and the patient should focus on medical management?
1 Answer
Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Radiation Oncology · University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Answered on
I would generally not be comfortable giving palliative irradiation unless the bowel had been diverted, particularly in a patient receiving Avastin. The risk of perforation and sepsis would likely be high. However, if the fecal stream is diverted above the fecal stream and the patient has no evidence...
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