Doc Hawk

smokeyjoe

I was going through looking at clinical trial....spurred on by Coloncan's post on Reolysin (checking to see if maybe it's listed as a possible clinical trial up here)  .....  anyhow  another clinical trial I came across was for  Botox injections to help....

The Value of Botox-A Administered as a Single Intra-rectal Injection for the Management of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome: A Phase II Study

Summary:

Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) is frequent after treatment for low rectal cancer. Increased bowel frequency and urgency with rectal spasms and incontinence have deleterious impacts on quality of life in a third of the cases. One possible physiopathology hypothesis suggests an ongoing spastic process; different mechanisms have been postulated. These include alteration of normal anorectal sensation with loss of the recto-anal inhibitory reflex (RAIR), decreased rectal compliance and reduced rectal capacity as well as sphincter damage secondary to preoperative chemoradiation therapy or during surgery. Current available treatments are often ineffective, highlighting the need for more successful management. Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is a neurotoxin inhibiting acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction. It is currently used for the treatment of various smooth muscle spastic diseases. The hypothesis of this study is that intra-rectal BTX-A injections could represent a medical treatment alternative for LARS. The goal of this study is to document the effects of intra-rectal BTX-A injections on sphincter function and quality of life of patients with LARS.  

Not sure whether this would be of help to you...but you came to mind when I saw this possible treatment.