Pre-operative Rectal Cancer

If your course of radiation therapy is scheduled prior to surgery for rectal cancer, the following instructions are for you. Your Radiation Oncologist will give you a copy of these instructions at your first consultation. The reason for these instructions is to achieve the same conditions within your pelvis for both your planning CT and your daily radiation therapy treatments.

It is recommended that you have a comfortably full bladder and an empty rectum for your planning CT scan appointment and a comfortably full bladder each day you have a radiation therapy treatment. The aim of this is to give us the best conditions to accurately plan and deliver your daily treatments.

Prescription

The Radiation Oncologist will have given you a prescription for dietary supplements at your first consultation. The Pharmacist will offer you a variety of brands and flavours, for example Ensure and Fortisip. Some of these products are sugar free for diabetics so please make the pharmacist aware of your requirements. Please do not choose the variety that has added fibre. The cost varies between products based on government funding and whether you have a Community Services Card.

CT Scan Preparation

The day before your CT scan, stop eating your normal diet and replace each meal with a can of Ensure or similar. Prior to going to bed, have one last can of supplement - making a total of 4 cans for the day.

Approximately 60 minutes before the CT scan, empty your bowel and bladder, and then drink 200mL of fluid. This can be juice or water.
Approximately 30 minutes before the CT scan, drink a further 200mL of fluid.

On arrival at ARO, if you feel full in the bladder, do not drink any more. If you feel you must pass water before being taken into the room, please inform the staff. You will then be required to have some more to drink. You will be able to relieve yourself once the scan is completed.

Daily Radiation Treatments

For each radiation treatment appointment, please follow this routine:

Approximately 60 minutes before your treatment time, empty your bladder, and then drink 200mL of fluid.
Approximately 30 minutes before your treatment time, drink a further 200mL of fluid.

Report any concerns or problems with this programme to your radiation oncologist or to the nurses and radiation therapists who are looking after you. If you have any medical conditions that may affect your ability to follow these instructions please inform us.