A groundbreaking study conducted in the United States has found that radiotherapy may not be necessary for thousands of bowel cancer patients. The treatment, which has long been associated with a range of unpleasant side effects, including infertility, diarrhoea, and bladder problems, can now be safely replaced by chemotherapy and surgery alone, according to the research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The study followed 1,194 patients with rectal cancer, and after five years, it was found that there was no difference in survival rates between those who had received radiotherapy and those who had not. This breakthrough discovery could revolutionize the way bowel cancer is treated, providing patients with a safer and more effective alternative to radiotherapy.
This study suggests that radiotherapy may not be necessary for thousands of bowel cancer patients, as chemotherapy and surgery alone can be just as effective. The research found that after five years, there was no difference in survival rates between patients who received radiotherapy and those who did not. This breakthrough could revolutionize the way bowel cancer is treated, providing patients with a safer and more effective alternative to radiotherapy. Experts are increasingly focusing efforts on finding ways to eliminate toxic treatments to improve patients' quality of life.
