Haemostatic and antialgic effects of the 25 MV photon beam concentrated dose in the treatment of carcinoma of the cervix

The authors present the results of a preliminary study on the use of a concentrated dose of 13 Gy in 48 hours in the treatment of cancer of the cervix, especially for haemostatic and antialgic purposes and mostly as a first part of a split course of radiotherapy. In 13 patients with early stages of the disease, the method was used as an emergency treatment with good response in 84.6% of the cases without serious complications. In 43 patients with advanced disease, the concentrated dose was generally repeated for palliation and relieved symptoms in about 72% of the cases but with complications in 16.3%. The authors recommend this method only when absolutely necessary to stop severe haemorrhage and suggest that patients with good response to the first flash course should continue treatment with conventional fractionation, bearing in mind the tolerance of the normal tissues.