Systemic Chemotherapy as Salvage Treatment for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Patients Who Fail to Respond to Standard Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The potential of chemotherapy as salvage treatment after failure of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has never been explored. We conducted a single-center, retrospective analysis to address this question.

Patients and methods

Patients with newly diagnosed LARC who were inoperable or candidates for extensive (i.e., beyond total mesorectal excision [TME]) surgery after long-course chemoradiotherapy and who received salvage chemotherapy were included. The primary objective was to estimate the proportion of patients who became suitable for TME after chemotherapy.

Results

Forty-five patients were eligible (39 candidates for extensive surgery and 6 unresectable). Previous radiotherapy was given concurrently with chemotherapy

SUBMITTER: Sclafani F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5469584 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature