What Researchers Did
Researchers identified 14 patients who developed enterovesical fistula after pelvic radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer, without tumor recurrence.
What They Found
Among 14 patients with enterovesical fistula following pelvic radiotherapy, six had colovesical, five had enterovesical, and three had both small and large bowel fistulae. Twelve patients underwent 13 surgical procedures, with bowel resection achieving successful repair in 5 of 6 cases, compared to 1 of 3 for diversion and 2 of 4 for isolation. Two of three perioperative deaths occurred in the isolation group managed without urinary conduit.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer should be aware of the rare but serious risk of enterovesical fistula, even without tumor recurrence. Surgical intervention, particularly bowel resection, appears to offer the best chance for successful repair and resolution of this complication.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
This study is limited by its small sample size of 14 patients and retrospective design.