The British journal of radiology
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Case Reports
Silicone implant to prevent visceral damage during adjuvant radiotherapy for retroperitoneal sarcoma.
The incidence of local recurrence after surgery for retroperitoneal sarcoma is reduced by high-dose adjuvant radiotherapy but treatment is restricted by the effects of irradiation on adjacent viscera. By securing a silicone gel-filled implant (breast prosthesis) in the tumour bed after excision of the tumour, adjacent viscera are displaced from the site of maximum irradiation and may thereby be protected. ⋯ Both cases underwent further surgery at which the implant was removed. The same two cases also developed asymptomatic hydronephrosis on the side of the implant, attributed to local fibrosis.