Meta-analysis of neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

With the advent of more intensive chemotherapy regimens, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has always been questioned due to its inevitable radiation toxicity. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and NACRT.

Materials and methods

Eligible studies were searched using PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to 31 July 2020, comparing the clinical efficacy of NAC versus NACRT for LARC. Short- and long-term outcomes were determined using the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Six studies with 12,812 patients were eligible for this meta-analysis, including 677 patients in th

SUBMITTER: Lin H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8101236 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature