Radiation Enteritis

Excerpt

Radiation enteritis is damage to the small and/or large intestines secondary to radiation. Different terms like radiation colitis, radiation enteropathy, radiation mucositis, and pelvic radiation disease have been used to describe this phenomenon. Radiation proctitis is a different term that is used to describe the involvement of the rectum and sigmoid colon. Radiotherapy is used as a treatment for many cancers. Radiation enteritis can be acute or chronic. The chronic form usually develops between 3 months to 30 years after treatment.