<b>Goreisan Efficacy for Radiation-induced Diarrhea </b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

Diarrhea frequently occurs after abdominal and pelvic irradiation. In severe cases, patients complain of wa tery diarrhea that can occur more than ten times a day. Stegnotic treatment is usually not effective. We con sider radiation-induced diarrhea as a <i>sessha </i>due to water poisoning (an illnesses caused by excessive water ac cumulation within the body). And we treated radiation-induced diarrhea with a Kampo medicine (goreisan).<BR>Between January 2008 and December 2010, 28 patients with prostatic cancer were treated with radical ex ternal beam radiotherapy in our division. Of 20 patients in a high-risk group, who received prophylactic whole-pelvic irradiation, 18 patients (83.3%) had diarrhea. Of 8 patients in an intermediate-risk group, who received small doses of pelvic irradiation, 5 patients (62.5%) had diarrhea. Of 2 patients in a low-risk group, who did not receive prophylactic pelvic irradiation, none had diarrhea. Goreisan efficacy was evaluated in these 20 cases. In 18 patients (90%), diarrhea was treated successfully with normal-dose goreisan extracts. In the remaining 2 cases (10%), double-dose goreisan extracts were used with effective results. Thus goreisan provided control of diarrhea for acute radiation colitis.