Could preoperative short-course radiotherapy be the treatment of choice for localized advanced rectal carcinoma?

ABSTRACT: Short-course preoperative radiotherapy (RT) is widely used in northern Europe for locally advanced resectable rectal cancer, but its role in the era of advanced imaging techniques is uncertain. Here, we reviewed articles and abstracts on SCRT published from 1974 through 2013 with the goal of identifying patients who might be best suited for short-course RT. We included relevant articles comparing surgery with or without preoperative radiation published before and after the advent of total mesorectal excision. We also analyzed two randomized trials directly comparing short-course RT with conventionally fractionated chemoradiation (the Polish Colorectal Study Group and the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group) that compared short-course RT with conventional chemoradiotherapy. We conclude fr

SUBMITTER: Ciria JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4268599 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature