Use of peritoneal insufflation to displace the small bowel during pelvic and abdominal radiotherapy in carcinoma of the cervix.

Peritoneal insufflation is a technique which reliably displaces small bowel from pelvic and abdominal radiotherapy fields with the aim of reducing bowel reactions which limit the dose of radiation applied to these sites. Use of this technique in five patients undergoing radiotherapy for advanced carcinoma of the cervix, and the degree of bowel displacement resulting, dosimetry, acute reactions and tolerability of the technique are presented, with discussion of the possibility of future escalation in radiotherapy dose.