Acute radiation proctitis - symptoms occur in the first few weeks after therapy.

Radiation proctitis can occur at two times after treatment:

Chronic radiation proctitis occurs in part because of damage to the blood vessels which supply the colon.

Chronic radiation proctitis - symptoms may begin as early as several months after therapy but occasionally not until several years later.

Acute radiation proctitis usually resolves without treatment after several months, but symptoms may improve with butyrate enemas.

Radiation proctitis most commonly occurs after treatment for cancers such as cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer.

Successful and sustained treatment of chronic radiation proctitis with antioxidant vitamins E and C. Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96:1080-4.

Both types of radiation therapy may cause diarrhea and mild rectal bleeding due to radiation proctitis, as well as potential urinary incontinence and impotence.

It is also possible that in some patients concurrent radiation proctitis caused rectal irritability and contributed to a stool weight that was lower than would be predictd from stool frequency.

Adverse events associated with anal cancer treatment include short-term side effects commonly associated with chemotherapy, such as neutropenia, and longer-term toxicities associated with radiation therapy, such as radiation proctitis.

Radiation proctitis (and the related radiation colitis) is inflammation and damage to the lower parts of the colon after exposure to x-rays or other ionizing radiation as a part of radiation therapy.