A Comparison of Early Side-Effects of Short-Course and Long-Course Radiotherapy in Rectal Cancer

Background: the variety of neoadjuvant treatments concerning rectal cancer has led to acute complications. the present study aimed to evaluate and compare the acute complications of short-course (sc) and long-course (lc) radiotherapy. method: we studied 100 patients suffering from rectal cancer, who referred to nemazee hospital before their surgery, in this cross-sectional study. the patients were divided into two categories: sc (25 grays radiotherapy at 5 fractions in 5 days) and lc (chemoradiotherapy with a dose of 45- 50.4 grays in 25- 28 fraction in 5-6 weeks with concurrent capecitabine (825 mg / m^2) twice daily and five days a week). subsequently, we evaluated them for acute complications in the sc group 10-14 days after the end of the treatment and in the lc group at intervals of the treatment, the end of it and 2 weeks afterwards. results: in the lc group compared to the sc group, the percentage of patients with grade 1 diarrhea, grade 2 colitis and grade 1 cystitis at the end of the treatment was statistically different (p<0.001, p=0.046, p=0.036 ). in addition, the total number of the patients with grade 1 and 2 dermatitis was higher in the lc group compared with that in the sc group (p=0.046). we observed no significant differences between the two groups concerning the severe acute complications (p>0.05). conclusion: this study implied that there were no significant differences regarding severe acute complication between the two groups.