Urinary infection or radiation cystitis? A prospective evaluation of urinary symptoms in patients submitted to pelvic radiotherapy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) in patients with cystitis symptoms who underwent pelvic radiation therapy and identify correlated predictive factors.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted of patients who met the following: primary pelvic cancer treated with curative intent, older than 18 years old, and good performance status. The exclusion criteria were patients being treated for a UTI, using a urinary catheter, in dialysis or with cystostomy or nephrostomy, and using antibiotics during treatment.

Implementation of image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) for patients with uterine cervix cancer: a tumor volume kinetics approach.

Purpose: To evaluate tumor shrinking kinetics in order to implement image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) for the treatment of patients with cervix cancer.

Material And Methods: This study has prospectively evaluated tumor shrinking kinetics of thirteen patients with uterine cervix cancer treated with combined chemoradiation. Four high dose rate brachytherapy fractions were delivered during the course of pelvic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).