Radiation enteritis disease – symptoms, causes, diagnosis & stem cell therapy

Radiation enteritis happens when the small bowel gets hurt from radiation therapy. This treatment is common for different cancers. It can lead to both acute and chronic forms of this disease. People with radiation enteritis may have pain, bloating, nausea, and other symptoms. These can really lower their quality of life.

When radiation harms the small bowel, it causes inflammation and the death of cells in the intestine. Various techniques and medicines are used to prevent this damage. These include drugs like angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and probiotics. For treating radiation enteritis, there are medical, dietary, surgical, and stem cell options.

Key Takeaways:

• Radiation enteritis is a condition caused by radiation therapy, which damages the small bowel tissue.
• Symptoms of radiation enteritis include pain, bloating, nausea, faecal urgency, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding.
• The pathogenesis of radiation injury involves inflammation and cell death in the intestinal tissue.
• Avoiding radiation damage can be achieved through the use of various techniques and medications.
• The treatment of radiation enteritis may include medical, dietetic, endoscopic, surgical therapies, and stem cell therapy.

Risk Factors and Pathophysiology of Radiation Enteritis

Many things can make the chance of getting radiation enteritis higher. This includes where the main tumor is, how much radiation you get, and if you have chemotherapy at the same time. Your health history matters, too. Having had surgery on your abdomen before, having diverticular disease or high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and eating poorly all increase the risk.

When you get radiation, it can hurt your small intestine. This can lead to acute or chronic radiation enteritis. The acute type happens soon after treatment and shows up as stomach pain, feeling bloated, and not wanting to eat. You might also feel sick, have loose stools, and need the bathroom right away. Chronic radiation enteritis, on the other hand, might not show up for months or years after treatment. It can mean feeling pain after eating, constipation that comes and goes, feeling sick, not being hungry, losing weight, bloating, loose stools that are fatty, and not absorbing food properly.

The problem in radiation enteritis starts with the inflammation. This makes the cells that line the intestine die off and can lead to tissue scarring. The more radiation you get, the bigger the chance of worse symptoms. The size of the area treated and your general health also play a role.

Factors Increasing the Risk of Radiation Enteritis

• Location of the primary tumor
• Dose and volume of radiation
• Concurrent chemotherapy
• Previous abdominal surgery
• Diverticular disease
• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Poor nutrition

Management and Complications of Radiation Enteritis

Radiation enteritis management involves many experts working together. Oncologists handle the short-term symptoms. Gastroenterologists are needed for long-term problems. The aim is to ease symptoms, improve nutrition, and raise life quality.

Using medicine is key in treating radiation enteritis. Doctors may prescribe corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, and immunomodulators. These meds reduce inflammation, bringing relief from pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. This helps patients live more comfortably.

Dietary changes are also important. Patients might need to eat less fiber and take supplements. This can improve how well your body absorbs nutrition. It lessens symptoms, making eating and digesting easier for patients.

For some patients, surgery might be required if complications develop. Intestinal blockages or stricturing can be very hard on someone’s health. Surgery can fix these issues and improve digestion. Doctors must watch for and treat radiation enteritis complications early to help their patients.