Treatment of radiation-induced hemorrhagic duodenitis with argon plasma coagulation

Management of Long-Term Toxicity From Pelvic Radiation Therapy

Pelvic radiation therapy is an integral component in the treatment of various gastrointestinal, gynecologic, and genitourinary cancers. As survival rates from these malignancies improve, the prevalence of toxicity secondary to pelvic radiation has increased. Gastrointestinal toxicities are the most common complications and greatly impact quality of life. Toxicities can present in acute or late stages; although symptoms may be similar during both, the management may differ. Acute toxicities represent an inflammatory reaction in response to the radiation exposure, whereas late toxicities may arise as a result of small vessel disease, ischemia, and fibrosis. Currently, there are no large clinical trials and only limited guidelines on the management of late gastrointestinal radiation toxicities. Therapy is generally approached in a stepwise manner from medical to endoscopic to surgical methods. Several endoscopic therapies, such as the treatment of radiation proctitis with argon plasma coagulation and dilation of radiation bowel strictures, may prevent the need for surgical intervention, which may be associated with high morbidity and mortality. Given that late toxicities can occur years after radiation therapy, they are often difficult to recognize and diagnose. Successful management of late toxicities requires recognition, an understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and a multidisciplinary approach. More dedicated research could clarify the prevalence of gastrointestinal pelvic radiation toxicities, permit a better understanding of the efficacy and safety profile of current therapies, and allow for the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

A Case Series of Radiation-induced Hemorrhagic Gastroduodenitis

Objective We examined the clinical course and treatment method of a case series of radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastroduodenitis with clinical signs. Methods This was a single-center retrospective observational study. Patients We included seven patients with radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastroduodenitis treated at our hospital between April 2014 and May 2020. Results One male patient each had cancer of the head of the pancreas, bile duct cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and ureteral cancer, whereas two women had recurrent endometrial cancer and one woman had recurrent cervical cancer. The onset occurred 3-5 months after the end of radiation treatment. Endoscopic examinations showed a red edematous mucous membrane in a fragile condition stretching from the antrum of the stomach to the duodenum, with telangiectasia and ulcer. For endoscopic hemostasis, five patients underwent argon plasma coagulation (APC), which was successful in three patients. Two of these were being administered an antithrombotic at the time. One case resistant to conservative treatment required repeated transfusion for recurring hemorrhaging over a short period of time and therefore underwent surgical treatment. Thereafter, the postoperative course was favorable. Conclusions Actively attempting hemostasis through APC and surgery is effective for treating radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastroduodenitis. The use of an antithrombotic agent might lead to a risk of repeated hemorrhaging. Therefore, repeated hemostasis through APC is crucial.

A case report of endoscopic therapy for radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis in patient with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma

RATIONALE

Radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis is an infrequent cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and difficult to manage. The current standard treatment has not been well established.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We described a 32-year-old male patient with hemorrhagic gastritis induced by external radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence.

DIAGNOSES

The endoscopic examination showed a diffuse area of bleeding in the gastric antrum.

INTERVENTIONS

After failure of conventional hemostasis treatment, we successfully stopped the hemorrhage with repeated endoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC) combined with low-dose polyglycerol sclerotherapy.

OUTCOMES

The patient was followed up for 6 months to date without recurrence.

LESSONS

Based on this case, we think that endoscopic APC combined with low-dose polidocanol sclerotherapy can be tried as a treatment for potentially life-threatening radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis.

Radiation-induced hemorrhagic duodenitis associated with sorafenib treatment

Sorafenib, an oral inhibitor of multiple tyrosine kinase receptors, has been widely used as a standard medical treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we report a 66-year-old male patient who developed gastrointestinal bleeding due to radiation-induced hemorrhagic duodenitis associated with sorafenib treatment. We started oral administration of sorafenib because of the recurrence of HCC with lung metastases. The patient had been treated by radiotherapy for para-aortic lymph node metastases from HCC 4 months before the bleeding. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed edematous reddish mucosa with friability and telangiectasia in the second portion of the duodenum. Computed tomography and capsule endoscopy revealed that the hemorrhagic lesions were located in the distal duodenum. After discontinuation of sorafenib, the bleeding disappeared and a follow-up EGD confirmed improvement of duodenitis. Based on these findings, the diagnosis of radiation-induced hemorrhagic duodenitis associated with sorafenib was made.

Efficacy of argon plasma coagulation in the treatment of radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastroduodenal vascular ectasia

OBJECTIVE

Radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastroduodenal vascular ectasia (GDVE) is rare but difficult to manage. Argon plasma coagulation (APC) has not yet been evaluated in the treatment of radiation-induced hemorrhagic GDVE. The efficacy of APC in patients with radiation-induced hemorrhagic GDVE has been investigated in this article.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighteen patients with upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding caused by radiation-induced GDVE, including 13 with hepatocellular carcinoma, 3 with pancreatic cancer, and 2 with cholangiocarcinoma, were treated with APC. The efficacy of APC was retrospectively evaluated, based on cessation of macroscopic GI bleeding, resolution or stabilization of anemia and transfusion dependence, endoscopic ablation of almost all vascular lesions, complications, and recurrence.

RESULTS

Mean patient age was 59 years (range 42-80 years). The median time from radiation to GDVE diagnosis was 4.6 months (range 3.3-21.5 months). The median number of APC sessions per patient was 2.4 (range 1-4). All 18 patients showed an endoscopic response to APC treatment, with sustained increases in mean hemoglobin level, from 6.6 g/dL (range 2.9-9.5 g/dL) to 9.7 g/dL (range 7.1-12.7 g/dL) (p < 0.001), and decreased dependence on transfusion, from 9.1 (range 0-30) to 4.1 (range 0-15) units of packed red blood cells per patient (p = 0.038) after last endoscopic eradication by APC treatment. There were no major procedure-related adverse events or deaths. At a median follow up of 4.7 months (range 0.6-24.5 months), none of the patients experienced recurrence of GDVE.

CONCLUSIONS

APC showed short-term effectiveness and safety in the treatment of radiation-induced hemorrhagic GDVE.

Radiation-induced small bowel disease: latest developments and clinical guidance

Ionizing radiation is commonly used to treat a number of malignancies. Although highly effective and now more targeted, many patients suffer side effects. The number of cancer survivors has increased and so there are more patients presenting with symptoms that have arisen as a result of radiotherapy. Radiation damage to small bowel tissue can cause acute or chronic radiation enteritis producing symptoms such as pain, bloating, nausea, faecal urgency, diarrhoea and rectal bleeding which can have a significant impact on patient's quality of life. This review outlines the pathogenesis of radiation injury to the small bowel along with the prevention of radiation damage via radiotherapy techniques plus medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, statins and probiotics. It also covers the treatment of both acute and chronic radiation enteritis via a variety of medical (including hyperbaric oxygen), dietetic, endoscopic and surgical therapies.

Treatment of radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis with prednisolone: A case report

Radiation-induced gastritis is an infrequent cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. It is a serious complication arising from radiation therapy, and the standard treatment method has not been established. The initial injury is characteristically acute inflammation of gastric mucosa. We presented a 46-year-old male patient with hemorrhagic gastritis induced by external radiotherapy for metastatic retroperitoneal lymph node of hepatocellular carcinoma. The endoscopic examination showed diffuse edematous hyperemicmucosa with telangiectasias in the whole muscosa of the stomach and duodenal bulb. Multiple hemorrhagic patches with active oozing were found over the antrum. Anti-secretary therapy was initiated for hemostasis, but melena still occurred off and on. Finally, he was successfully treated by prednisolone therapy. We therefore strongly argue in favor of perdnisolone therapy to effectively treat patients with radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastritis.

A case of hemorrhagic gastroduodenitis after proton beam radiation for pancreatic cancer with multiple hemorrhagic risk factors: successful treatment with argon plasma coagulation

Radiation-induced gastroduodenitis is a well-known but rare disorder causing uncontrollable hemorrhage and has not been reported as a complication of proton beam therapy in radiation treatment. Argon plasma coagulation (APC) has been shown to be effective and safe in the management of radiation-induced hemorrhagic gastroduodenitis. We describe a case of hemorrhagic gastroduodenitis after proton beam radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer with multiple hemorrhagic risk factors, which was treated successfully with APC. A 62-year-old man was diagnosed as having early pancreatic cancer that was incidentally detected on computed tomography when screening for hepatocellular carcinoma. He opted to receive radical proton beam radiation for pancreatic cancer but not surgery because he had multiple risk factors such as liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus and chronic renal failure that required hemodialysis. Three months later, however, he developed hemorrhagic gastroduodenitis induced by proton beam radiation although the cancer had been eradicated. Initially, he required frequent blood transfusions, but his disease condition improved dramatically after several endoscopic treatments using APC. The patient has been free of relapse after pancreatic cancer for >2 years.

[Therapy of radiation enteritis--current challenges]

Radiation enteritis is one of the most feared complications after abdominal and pelvic radiation therapy. The incidence varies from 0.5 to 5%. It is not rare that the slowly progressing condition will be fatal. During a period of 13 years 24 patients were operated due to the complication of radiation enteritis. Despite different types of surgery repeated operation was required in 25% of cases and finally 4 patients died. Analyzing these cases predisposing factors and different therapeutic options of this condition are discussed. Treatment options of radiation induced enteritis are limited; however, targeted therapy significantly improves the outcome. Cooperation between oncologist, gastroenterologist and surgeon is required to establish adequate therapeutic plan.