A device for radiation therapy of rectal cancer

Colorectal cancer patients primarily undergo surgery for treatment followed by chemotherapy. The surgical procedure leads to development of a scar in the region of the body lower to the pelvic diaphragm and between the legs, known as perineal scar. During the radiation treatment, this perineal scar resulting from removal of rectum and anus, must also be included. The present invention relates to a novel device for pushing the scar towards the anterior section and properly positioning it during radiation treatment of the rectal area of the patient. The device effectively reduces the overall size of the radiation field which allows minimum surface area around the scar getting exposed to irradiation. This helps in prevention of undesirable areas of the body to be exposed to radiation, especially the genitalia (external sexual organs) of the patient. The device provides an effective clinical tool for use in conjunction with chemotherapy for treatment of colorectal cancer patients who are undergoing post-operative.

Benefits
Patients undergoing rectal surgery with removal of colon further undergo chemotherapeutic treatment following the surgery. At this time the perineal scar from the surgery need to be included for radiation treatment. The present invention restricts the size of the field of irradiation by using a device that is used to position the scar in an appropriate position in the field of radiation. By reducing the surface area of the radiation field, the radiation dose to the skin near the scar can be reduced preventing undesirable irradiation of the sexual organs of the patient.

Stage of Development
The United States patent 5,685,876 has been awarded on this technology. This technology is available for developmental research support/ licensing under either exclusive or non-exclusive terms.

Additional Info
http://www.cancercompass.com/rectal-cancer-information/treatment.htm

Inventor(s): Frederic Gibbs, Jr., Christopher Johnson

Type of Offer: Licensing



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