Quality radiotherapy in rectal cancer

The quality of radiotherapy significantly impacts on the results of treatment, in patients with rectal carcinoma, especially in terms of acute and late toxicity. Based on this assumption, the Italian Association of Radiation Oncology (AIRO) formulated a document aimed to define the standards of radiation treatment for rectal carcinomas. Two different levels of standard were described: a first level, considered as "minimal requirement", and a second level, considered as "optimal treatment". A retrospective evaluation, based on a questionnaire, revealed that in 1996, in most Italian Centers, patients affected by rectal carcinoma received radiation treatment within the first level of proposed standards. A subsequent analysis concerned the evaluation of the level of treatments applied in 2000. In this paper the radiotherapy standards proposed by the AIRO are described in the different phases of the radiation treatment.