Effect of alkoxyglycerols on the frequency of injuries following radiation therapy for carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Abstract

The incidence of injuries following intracavitary and external radiation therapy is markedly decreased in all stages of the disease by the administration of alkoxyglycerols. Complex injuries (due to radiation injury and tumour growth in combination) were reduced to about 1/3 in a group receiving alkoxyglycerols prophylactically, i.e. before, during and after radiation treatment, when compared with a control group. Using non-prophylactic administration of alkoxyglycerols, i.e. during and after radiation treatment, no effect was observed on complex injuries, while--as for the prophylactic group--the injuries due to radiation only, were significantly decreased. The use of so called "increased amount" of radium in the intracavitary irradiator was followed by an unexpectedly high incidence of radiation injuries, which was considerably reduced, however, by alkoxyglycerols, especially when administered prophylactically.