Radiation pathomorphosis in intensive preoperative hypoxic radiotherapy of stomach cancer

The authors presented the results of pathomorphological investigations of surgical specimens of 110 stomach cancer patients following preoperative radiotherapy or hypoxyradiotherapy and radical operation. Single and total focal doses depended on oxygen percentage in the inhaled mixture and were 4-5 and 20-25 Gy, respectively. Radiation pathomorphosis was established in 62.8% of the patients (in 19.1% it was marked, in 13.5% it was absent, unclassified changes were noted in 23.6%). Short-term hypoxia resulted in no tumor "protection". Radiation changes in the stomach mucose in hypoxyradiotherapy were noted 2-3-fold less frequently than in radiotherapy, suggesting predominant "protection" of healthy tissues by hypoxia.