Evidence on the safety of intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy for locally advanced and locally recurrent colorectal cancer is adequate. Evidence on efficacy is inadequate in quality and quantity. Therefore, this procedure should only be used in the context of research. Find out what only in research means on the NICE interventional procedures guidance page.
Further research should preferably be in the form of suitably powered randomised controlled trials and should report details of patient selection (including tumour type and staging), the technique of radiotherapy and the extent of surgery undertaken, and key outcomes (as detailed in sections 3.2 and 3.3).
Patient selection and the procedure should only be done in specialist centres by a multidisciplinary team experienced in managing colorectal cancer. The multidisciplinary team should include a colorectal surgeon, a clinical oncologist, a medical physicist, a radiographer and an anaesthetist with specialist training in the procedure.