A Matched-Pair Study Comparing Surgery Plus Neoadjuvant Radio-Chemotherapy and Surgery Alone for High Rectal Cancers

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Dirk Rades
  • Rasmus Peuliche Vogelsang
  • Maxi Treder
  • Stefan Janssen
  • Steven E Schild
  • Niels Henrik Holländer
  • Gögenur, Ismail

BACKGROUND/AIM: The value of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy for high rectal cancers is controversial. This study compared surgery plus neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy to surgery alone.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-two patients with stage II/III high rectal cancers treated with surgery plus neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy were matched (1:4) to 208 patients treated with surgery alone. Matching criteria included age (≤65 vs. >65 years), gender and UICC-stage (II vs. III). These criteria were identical in all five patients used for each 1:4 matching. Both groups were compared for overall survival (OS).

RESULTS: On univariate analyses, age ≤65 years (p<0.001) was significantly associated with improved OS. A trend towards improved OS was found for neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (p=0.078) and UICC-stage II (p=0.060). On multivariate analysis, age (p<0.001) remained significant, and neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy showed a trend towards better OS (p=0.073).

CONCLUSION: Given the limitations of this study, the results showed that neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy may improve OS in patients with stage II/III high rectal cancers. However, these results need to be verified in a prospective randomized trial.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAnticancer Research
Volume38
Issue number12
Pages (from-to)6877-6880
ISSN0250-7005
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

    Research areas

  • Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Case-Control Studies, Chemoradiotherapy, Combined Modality Therapy, Digestive System Surgical Procedures, Female, Humans, Male, Matched-Pair Analysis, Middle Aged, Neoadjuvant Therapy, Rectal Neoplasms/pathology, Retrospective Studies

ID: 222097921