Tays introduces high-dose radiotherapy for rectal cancer in Finland

Some patients may avoid major surgery and a permanent stoma after rectal cancer, because Tampere University Hospital (Tays) has become the first hospital in Finland to introduce high-dose brachytherapy, Tamperelainen reports.

The technique, known medically as high-dose-rate brachytherapy, delivers a strong radiation dose directly to the tumour through a device placed in the rectum, limiting exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. The aim is to destroy the tumour as effectively as possible while reducing the need for extensive surgery and the long-term bowel, urinary and sexual problems that can follow. "Curing the cancer is always the first goal, but alongside that we want to preserve the best possible quality of life. If the tumour can be made to disappear completely without removing the rectum, the patient can at best avoid both a major operation and a stoma," says Professor Toni Seppälä of Tampere University and Tays.

Not all patients are suitable; a multidisciplinary team assesses who can benefit. Around 1,500 new rectal cancers are diagnosed in Finland each year, and clinicians say more than a hundred elderly or frail patients annually could particularly benefit from a non-surgical option. Tays and Tampere University are coordinating the NORPPA research programme, and a NORPPA-2 study launching in 2027 will examine the effectiveness and safety of HDR brachytherapy – if results are positive, the treatment may be offered to more patients as an alternative to surgery.