Radiotherapy boost to the primary tumour in locally advanced rectal cancer: Systematic review of practices and <i>meta</i>-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

In locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), increasing the complete response (CR) rate after total neo-adjuvant treatment may increase the patient eligibility for non-operative management ("watch and wait", W&W). Although a radiotherapy (RT) boost to the primary tumour may enhance CR rates, clear guidelines are currently lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigate the technical parameters used for rectal boost RT and assess their impact on oncological outcomes.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, the terms "rectum," "radiotherapy," and "boost" were searched in PubMed and EMBASE (PROSPERO: CRD42023444685). Studies reporting on external beam RT boost to the primary tumour in LARC and meeting quality criteria were included. Descriptive analy

SUBMITTER: Pierrard J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12284667 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature