Abstract
Post-radiation rectal changes are the most common gastrointestinal complications in the treatment of urogenital malignancies. Acute radiation proctitis is a disease that resolves spontaneously or after treatment of symptoms.
Chronic radiation proctitis requires argon plasma coagulation treatment of teleangiectases and a complex interdisciplinary approach to treat other associated sequelae. Due to the development of conventional radiotherapy techniques, the incidence of rectal lesions has been reduced.
The true risk of gastrointestinal toxicity of proton treatment for prostate cancer will only be determined by the results of ongoing prospective randomized trials, but so far considerable number of cases of severe rectal changes after proton treatment were reported at the empirical level.