Bevacizumab in the pre-operative treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT: Despite advances in the management of patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma (LARC), prognosis remains largely unsatisfactory due to a high rate of distant relapse. In fact, currently available neoadjuvant protocols, represented by fluoropyrimidine-based chemo-radiotherapy (CT-RT) or short-course RT, together with improved surgical techniques, have largely reduced the risk of local relapse, with limited impact on distant recurrence. Available results of phase III trials with additional cytotoxic agents combined with standard CT-RT are disappointing, as no significant reduction in the risk of recurrence has been demonstrated. In order to improve the control of micrometastatic disease, integrating targeted agents into neoadjuvant treatment protocols thus offers

SUBMITTER: Fornaro L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4033447 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature