Preoperative versus postoperative chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: Outcomes of survival,toxicity, sphincter preserving and prognostic factors

BackgroundThis study aimed to compare preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with postoperative CRT regarding survival, local control, disease control, sphincter preservation, toxicity and also prognostic factors for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer.MethodsRecords of 140 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received preoperative or postoperative CRT were analyzed retrospectively. We compared the treatment groups (preoperative vs postoperative) according to baseline characteristics (demographic and rectal cancer disease characteristics), and also carried out the survival analyses.ResultsFrom January 2010 to December 2019, 140 patients were included in the analysis, 65 received preoperative treatment and 75 postoperative treatment. There was no difference in survival, recurrence or distant metastasis rate in both treatment groups. The ratios of the failure to complete adjuvant chemotherapy (32% vs 4.6%) and acute grade 3–4 toxicity (32% vs 6.2%) were higher in the postoperative group (p < 0.001). In lower located tumors (≤5 cm from anal verge) the ratio of the sphincter preserving in the preoperative group was 60.7% (n = 17/28), and was 16.6% (n = 3/18) in the postoperative group (Yates χ2 = 5.829, p = 0.005).ConclusionThis study showed no difference in recurrence and survival rate. Preoperative CRT is the preferred treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, given that it is associated with a superior overall treatment compliance rate, reduced toxicity, and an increased rate of sphincter preservation in low-lying tumors, but not for overall survival.     

A Simplified Tumor Regression Grade Correlates with Survival in Locally Advanced Rectal Carcinoma Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy

Background  Locally advanced rectal cancer is frequently treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy to reduce local recurrence and possibly improve survival. The tumor response to chemoradiotherapy is variable and may influence the prognosis after surgery. This study assessed tumor regression and its influence on survival in patients with rectal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy followed by curative surgery. Methods  One hundred twenty-six patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (T3/T4 or N1/N2) were treated with chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision. Patients received long-course radiotherapy (50 Gy in 25 fractions) in combination with 5-flourouracil over 5 weeks. By means of a standardized approach, tumor regression was graded in the resection specimen using a 3-point system related to tumor regression grade (TRG): complete or near-complete response (TRG1), partial response (TRG2), or no response (TRG3). Results  The 5-year disease-free survival was 72% (median follow-up 37 months), and 7% of patients had local recurrence. Chemoradiotherapy produced downstaging in 60% of patients; 21% of patients experienced TRG1. TRG1 correlated with a pathological T0/1 or N0 status. Five-year disease-free survival after chemoradiotherapy and surgery was significantly better in TRG1 patients (100%) compared with TRG2 (71%) and TRG3 (66%) (P = .01). Conclusion  Tumor regression grade measured on a 3-point system predicts outcome after chemoradiotherapy and surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer.     

Survival of south african women with breast cancer receiving anti-retroviral therapy for HIV

PurposeBreast cancer outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa is reported to be poor, with an estimated five-year survival of 50% when compared to almost 90% in high-income countries. Although several studies have looked at the effect of HIV in breast cancer survival, the effect of ARTs has not been well elucidated.MethodsAll females newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from May 2015–September 2017 at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital were enrolled. We analysed overall survival and disease-free survival, comparing HIV positive and negative patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated with p-values calculated using a log-rank test of equality while hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox regression models.ResultsOf 1019 patients enrolled, 22% were HIV positive. The overall survival (95% CI) was 53.5% (50.1–56.7%) with a disease-free survival of 55.8% (52.1–59.3) after 4 years of follow up. HIV infection was associated with worse overall survival (HR (95% CI): 1.50 (1.22–1.85), p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (OR (95% CI):2.63 (1.71–4.03), p < 0.001), especially among those not on ART at the time of breast cancer diagnosis. Advanced stage of the disease and hormone-receptor negative breast cancer subtypes were also associated with poor survival.ConclusionHIV infection was associated with worse overall and disease-free survival. HIV patients on ARTs had favourable overall and disease-free survival and with ARTs now being made accessible to all the outcome of women with HIV and breast cancer is expected to improve.     

Screen detection is a survival predictor independent of pathological grade in colorectal cancer. A prospective cohort study

IntroductionPatients with screened detected colorectal cancer (CRC) have a better survival than patients referred with symptoms. This may be because of cancers being identified in a younger population and at an earlier stage. In this study, we assess whether screened detected CRC has an improved outcome after controlling for key pathological and patient factors known to influence prognosis.MethodThis is a cohort study of all CRC patients diagnosed in NHS Grampian. Patients aged 51–75 years old between June 2007 and July 2017 were included. Data were obtained from a prospectively maintained regional pathology database and outcomes from ISD records. All-cause mortality rates at 1 and 5 years were examined. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the effect of screening status, age, gender, Duke stage, tumour location, extramural venous invasion (EMVI) status and lymph node ratio (LNR) on overall survival.ResultsOf 1618 CRC cases, 449 (27.8%) were screened and 1169 (72.2%) were symptomatic. Screened CRC patients had improved survival compared to non-screened CRC at 1 year (88.9% vs 83.9% p < 0.001) and 5-years (42.5% vs 36.2%; p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis of patients who had no neoadjuvant therapy (n = 1272), screening had better survival (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.44–0.74; p < 0.001). EMVI (HR 2.22; CI 1.76 to 2.79; p < 0.001) and tumour location were found to affect outcome.ConclusionPatients referred through screening had improved survival compared with symptomatic patients. Further research could be targeted to determine if screened CRC cases are pathologically different to symptomatic cancers or if the screening cohort is inherently more healthy.     

Lateral pelvic node dissection after neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer with right internal iliac node metastasis but without regional node metastasis: A case report

Introduction and importanceTotal mesorectal excision (TME) with lateral pelvic node dissection was routinely done in low clinical T3 rectal tumors below the peritoneal reflection as stated in the Japanese guidelines for colorectal cancer. Our institution follows the same practice in selected patients. This is our first reported case wherein a patient with rectal cancer underwent total mesorectal excision with lateral lymphadenectomy after neoadjuvant treatment with a positive lateral node on histopathology.Case presentationA 49 year old female rectal had rectal adenocarcinoma 4 cm FAV. Pelvic MRI revealed a low rectal tumor abutting the mesorectal fascia anteriorly, anal sphincters not involved, and confluent enlarged right iliac nodes. After neoadjuvant treatment, interval decrease in size of the rectal lesion and the right iliac nodes were noted. Patient underwent partial intersphincteric resection, lateral pelvic node dissection and protective loop ileostomy.Clinical discussionHistopathology revealed a rectal adenocarcinoma with one right internal iliac lymph node was positive for tumor involvement. Circumferential resection margin was 4.0 mm. Patient is currently on 4th cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy. Preoperative chemoradiation could not completely eradicate lateral pelvic node metastasis. Therefore, lateral pelvic node dissection should be considered if lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis is suspected even after neoadjuvant therapy.ConclusionUnlike TME, performance of a routine lateral lymphadenectomy in rectal cancer surgery varies by geographic location. Reports from Asian countries and our practice in our institution shows that it can be performed safely. This could improve the oncologic outcomes of patients especially if combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.     

Metastatic lymph node ratio as a prognostic factor after laparoscopic total mesorectal excision for extraperitoneal rectal cancer

Background

The lymph node ratio (LNR; number of positive nodes divided by total nodes harvested) has been demonstrated to be a prognostic factor in colon cancer, but its role in extraperitoneal rectal cancer is still debated; furthermore, no data are available on laparoscopic rectal resection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of LNR on long-term outcomes after laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LTME) for extraperitoneal cancer in consecutive patients with a 5-year minimum follow-up.

Methods

This study is a prospective analysis of consecutive patients who underwent LTME for adenocarcinoma of the extraperitoneal rectum.

Results

LTME was performed in 158 patients. The median number of LN harvested was 12 (range = 3–25). The proportion of specimens with fewer than 12 examined LN was significantly higher in patients who had neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (p < 0.001). During a median follow-up period of 122 months, the local recurrence rate was 8 %. At univariate analysis, disease-free survival and overall survival significantly decreased with increasing LNR (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the distal margin ≤1 cm was the only independent predictor of local recurrence (p = 0.028). LNR (cutoff value = 0.25) and lymphovascular invasion were significant prognostic factors for both disease-free (p = 0.015 and p = 0.046, respectively) and overall survival (p = 0.031 and p = 0.040, respectively). Even in the subgroup of patients in whom fewer than 12 LN were examined, LNR confirmed its prognostic role, with a statistical trend toward worse disease-free survival and overall survival.

Conclusion

Metastatic LNR is an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival after LTME for extraperitoneal rectal cancer.     

A high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio are associated with a worse outcome in inflammatory breast cancer

IntroductionInflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an uncommon, but aggressive form of breast cancer that accounts for a disproportionally high fraction of breast cancer related mortality. The aim of this study was to explore the peripheral immune response and the prognostic value of blood-based biomarkers, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in a large IBC cohort.Patients & methodsWe retrospectively identified 127 IBC patients and collected lab results from in-hospital medical records. The differential count of leukocytes was determined at the moment of diagnosis, before any therapeutic intervention. A cohort of early stage (n = 108), locally advanced (n = 74) and metastatic breast cancer patients (n = 41) served as a control population.ResultsThe NLR was significantly higher in IBC compared to an early stage breast cancer cohort, but no difference between IBC patients and locally advanced breast cancer patients was noted. In the metastatic setting, there was also no significant difference between IBC and nIBC. However, a high NLR (>4.0) remained a significant predictor of worse outcome in IBC patients (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.24–1.00; P = .05) and a lower platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (≤210) correlated with a better disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.28–0.93; P = .03).ConclusionPatients with a high NLR (>4.0) have a worse overall prognosis in IBC, while the PLR correlated with relapse free survival (RFS). Since NLR and PLR were not specifically associated with IBC disease, they can be seen as markers of more extensive disease.     

Lymphovascular Invasion is a Significant Prognosticator in Rectal Cancer Patients Who Receive Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Total Mesorectal Excision

Purpose  

This study was designed to identify the significance of lymphovascular invasion as a prognosticator for tumor recurrence and survival in rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME).     

直肠癌新辅助治疗后淋巴结检出数目对其诊断及预后的影响

【摘要】〓目的〓本研究旨在探究直肠癌患者新辅助放化疗后淋巴结数目等对其诊断及预后的影响。方法〓回顾性纳入本中心2007~2013年行新辅助放化疗联合手术切除的直肠癌患者及单行手术切除直肠癌患者信息,并分析淋巴结数目、淋巴结转移等指标同术后病理诊断及预后的相关性。结果〓共计纳入300例新辅助放化疗联合手术切除及140例单一手术切除直肠癌患者。相对于单一手术切除,新辅助放化疗可减少淋巴结获取数目(P<0.001)及阳性淋巴结数目(P=0.001);同时发现新辅助放化疗后,淋巴结数目与肿瘤缓解等具有相关性;淋巴结转移情况是预后的独立预测指标,而淋巴结数目则不是预后预测指标。结论〓新辅助放化疗后直肠癌患者较低的淋巴结计数并非意味着切除不完全或分期不足,可在一定程度反应新辅助治疗的敏感性。     

Oncological outcomes of robotic-assisted total mesorectal excision after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer

AimsThis study analyzed the oncological outcomes of robotic-assisted total mesorectal excision (TME) in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).MethodsWe enrolled 109 consecutive patients with stage II–III rectal cancer who underwent robotic-assisted TME after neoadjuvant CCRT at one hospital between July 2013 and June 2018.ResultsAll 109 patients underwent preoperative CCRT. Of them, 37 (33.9%) achieved a pathologic complete response, and 29 (26.6%) experienced relapse, with local recurrence in 9 (8.3%) and distant metastasis in 20 (18.3%). R0 resection was performed in 104 (95.7%) patients; however, 7 (6.7%) of them developed local recurrence and 17 (16.3%) developed distant metastasis. Over a median follow-up of 42 months, the 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 73.4% and 87.2%, respectively.ConclusionsRobotic-assisted TME after neoadjuvant CCRT is safe and effective for treating patients with stage II–III rectal cancer in one institution with acceptable short-term oncological outcomes. It may be a therapeutic alternative to salvage surgery for T4 tumors invading adjacent organs, such as the bladder, prostate, and uterus.     

Long-Term Outcome of Patients with Complete Pathologic Response after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for cT3 Rectal Cancer: Implications for Local Excision Surgical Strategies

Background

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by radical surgery including total mesorectal excision (TME) is standard treatment in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Emerging data indicate that patients with complete pathologic response (ypCR) after CRT have favorable outcome, suggesting the possibility of less invasive surgical treatment. We analyzed long-term outcome of cT3 rectal cancer treated by neoadjuvant CRT in relation to ypCR and type of surgery.

Methods

The study population comprised 139 patients (93 men, 46 women; median age 62 years) with cT3N0–1M0 mid and distal rectal adenocarcinoma treated by CRT and surgery (110 TME and 29 local excision) at our institution between 1996 and 2008. At pathology, ypCR was defined as no residual cancer cells in the primary tumor.

Results

Tumors of 42 patients (30.2%) were classified as ypCR. After a median follow-up of 55.4 months, comparing patients with ypCR to patients with no ypCR, 5-year disease-specific survival was 95.8% versus 78.0% (P = 0.004), and 5-year disease-free survival was 90.1% vs. 64.0% (P = 0.004). In patients with ypCR, no statistically significant outcome difference was observed between TME and local excision. In patients treated by local excision, comparing patients with ypCR to patients with no ypCR, 5-year disease-free survival was 100% vs. 65.5% (P = 0.024), and 5-year local recurrence-free survival was 92.9% vs. 66.7% (P = 0.047).

Conclusions

With retrospective analysis limitations, our data confirm favorable long-term outcome of cT3 rectal cancer with ypCR after CRT and warrant clinical trials exploring local excision surgical strategies.     

Partial pathologic response and nodal status as most significant prognostic factors for advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy

Background  

This study evaluated the impact of tumor regression grading (TRG) and other pathologic variates in a cohort of rectal carcinoma patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The value of a grading less than pCR for predicting survival is unknown. Tumor budding has not been systematically studied in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy.     

进展期直肠癌新辅助放疗与化放疗联合TME随机对照试验的Meta分析

目的评价新辅助放疗组与新辅助化放疗组联合全直肠系膜切除术(TME)治疗局部进展期直肠癌的安全性与疗效。 方法检索2002年至2017年PubMed、OVID、Cochrane图书馆、中国生物医学文献数据库(CBM)、中国知网全文数据库(CNKI)、万方数据库关于新辅助治疗联合TME手术治疗局部进展期直肠癌的文献,对符合纳入标准的文献进行质量评价,采用Revman5.0软件检验异质性,进行meta分析。 结果共4个随机对照试验共2 272例直肠癌患者纳入研究,新辅助放疗组1 133例患者,新辅助化放疗组1 139例患者。与新辅助化放疗组相比,单纯新辅助放疗组的完全病理缓解率更低(OR＝0.32, 95%CI: 0.22～0.44, P<0.05),5年局部复发率更高(OR＝2.13, 95%CI: 1.62～2.79, P<0.05),严重不良反应更少(OR＝0.38, 95%CI: 0.17～0.82, P＝0.01),差异有统计学意义。但保肛率、术后并发症发病率、5年无病生存率和总生存率差异无统计学意义。 结论新辅助化放疗总体上优于单纯新辅助放疗治疗进展期直肠癌,但临床应用中仍需要根据患者的耐受情况选择合适的新辅助治疗方案。     

Clinical significance of an increased red blood cell distribution width in patients with rectal cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery

The clinical significance of the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in patients with rectal cancer undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery has not been fully evaluated. In this retrospective study, we investigated the association between the RDW and the prognosis in 120 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). We also performed a subgroup analysis limited to patients with pathological TNM stage I–II (ypN[−]) LARC. The RDW standard deviation was used to evaluate the RDW. We set 47.1% as the cut-off value of the RDW for the assessment of the prognosis. The RDW exhibited a significant negative relationship with the serum hemoglobin and albumin levels. An elevated RDW was an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with LARC. In addition, an elevated RDW predicted a poor OS and DFS in patients with pathological TNM stage I–II (ypN[−]) LARC. The RDW is a promising predictor of a poor survival and recurrence in patients with LARC treated by CRT.     

Clinical impact of adjuvant radiation therapy delay after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer

Backgroundand Purpose: Post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) is usually indicated for patients with breast cancer (BC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and surgery. However, the optimal timing to initiation of PORT is currently unknown.Material and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated data from patients with BC who received PORT after NAC and surgery at our institution from 2008 to 2014. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the time between surgery and PORT: <8 weeks, 8–16 weeks and >16 weeks.ResultsA total of 581 patients were included; 74% had clinical stage III. Forty-three patients started PORT within 8 weeks, 354 between 8 and 16 weeks and 184 beyond 16 weeks from surgery. With a median follow-up of 32 months, initiation of PORT up to 8 weeks after surgery was associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) (<8 weeks versus 8–16 weeks: HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.13–0.81; p = 0.02; <8 weeks versus >16 weeks: HR 0.38; 95% CI 0.15–0.96; p = 0.04) and better overall survival (OS) (<8 weeks versus 8–16 weeks: HR 0.22; 95% CI 0.05–0.90; p = 0.036; <8 weeks versus >16 weeks: HR 0.28; 95% CI 0.07–1.15; p = 0.08).ConclusionPORT started up to 8 weeks after surgery was associated with better DFS and OS in locally-advanced BC patients submitted to NAC. Our findings suggest that early initiation of PORT is critically important for these patients. However, the low numbers of patients and events in this study prevent us from drawing firm conclusions.     

直肠癌患者术前联合放疗化疗与单纯放疗的疗效比较

目的 探讨联合放化疗与单纯放疗对中低位局部进展期直肠癌疗效的影响.方法 回顾性分析北京协和医院1997年10月至2007年10月问69例中低位直肠癌患者在予以新辅助治疗后施行根治性手术治疗的临床资料.结果 术前单纯予以放疗者40例,放化疗联合者29例.全组患者肿瘤距肛缘3～10(平均5)cm.施行腹会阴联合切除术26例,低位前切除术27例,Parks术10例,Hartmann术6例;保肛率53.6%(37/69),其中单纯放疗组为47.5%(19/40),联合放化疗组为62.1%(18/29);两组比较差异无统计学意义(x2=1.435,P＞0.05).29例患者肿瘤分期降低,其中联合放化疗组降期率58.6%(17/29),单纯放疗组30.0%(12/40),两组比较差异有统计学意义(x2=5.65,P＜0.05).术后病理显示肿瘤完全消退(CR)7例,其中联合放化疗组4例(13.8%),单纯放疗组3例(7.5%);肿瘤部分缓解(PR)40例,其中联合放化疗组19例(65.5%),单纯放疗组21例(52.5%);无效(NR)22例,其中联合放化疗组6例(20.7%),单纯放疗组16例(40.0%);总有效率(CR加PR)68.1%(47/69),其中联合放化疗组为79.3%(23/29),单纯放疗组为60.0%(24/40);两组比较差异无统计学意义(x2=2.89.P＞0.05).全组3年无病生存率77.3%.结论 联合放化疗应用于直肠癌新辅助治疗在肿瘤降期和缓解率方面优于单纯放疗组,直肠癌新辅助治疗中应联合应用放化疗.     

Association of molecular subtype concordance and survival outcome in synchronous and metachronous bilateral breast cancer

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to analyze the association of molecular subtype concordance and disease outcome in patients with synchronous bilateral breast cancer (SBBC) and metachronous breast cancer (MBBC).Patients and methodsPatients diagnosed with SBBC or MBBC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database or Comprehensive Breast Health Center (CBHC) Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai were retrospectively reviewed and included. Clinicopathologic features, molecular subtype status concordance, and prognosis were compared in patients with SBBC and MBBC. Other prognostic factors for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) were also identified for bilateral breast cancer patients.ResultsTotally, 3395 and 115 patients were included from the SEER and Ruijin CBHC cohorts. Molecular subtype concordance rate was higher in the SBBC group compared to MBBC in both SEER cohort (75.8% vs 57.7%, p < 0.001) and Ruijin CBHC cohort (76.2% vs 45.2%, p = 0.002). Survival analyses indicated that SBBC was related to worse BCSS than MBBC (p = 0.015). Molecular subtype discordance was related to worse BCSS (hazard ratio (HR), 1.64, 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.18–2.27, p = 0.003) and OS (HR, 1.59, 95% CI, 1.24–2.04, p < 0.001) in the SBBC group, but not for the MBBC group (p = 0.650 for BCSS, p = 0.669 for OS).ConclusionsMolecular subtype concordance rate was higher in the SBBC group than MBBC group. Patients with discordant molecular subtype was associated with worse disease outcome in the SBBC patients, but not in MBBC, which deserves further clinical evaluation.     

Pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer: Prognosis analysis disaggregated by the origin of the primary tumor

BackgroundThe metastatic pattern differs between colon cancer and rectal cancer because of the distinct venous drainage systems. It is unclear whether colon cancer and rectal cancer are associated with different prognostic factors based on the anatomic difference.MethodsWe assessed the prognostic factors and survival outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy (PM), disaggregated by the location of primary colorectal cancer. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify variables that influenced the outcomes of pulmonary metastasectomy.ResultsBetween 2008 and 2017, 179 patients underwent PM classified into colon cancer and rectal cancer groups based on the site of origin of metastasis. The median postoperative follow-up was 2.3 years (range, 0.1–10.6). The post-PM 5-year survival rate in the colon cancer and rectal cancer groups was 42.5% and 39.9%, respectively (p = 0.310). On multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis, presence of previous liver metastasis [hazard ratio (HR), 2.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19–4.51; p = 0.013], numbers of tumors (≥2; HR, 6.56; 95% CI, 2.07–20.79; p = 0.001), and abnormal preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level (HR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.34–4.64; p = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors in patients with metastatic rectal cancer.ConclusionsPrognostic correlates of post-PM survival differ between colon and rectal cancer. Rectal cancer patients have worse prognosis if they have a history of liver metastasis, multiple pulmonary metastases, or abnormal preoperative CEA. These results may help assess the survival benefit of PM and facilitate treatment decision-making.     

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??Management of complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer SU Xiang-qian, YANG Hong. Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education)??Department of Minimally Invasive Gastrointestinal Surgery??Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute??Beijing 100142??China
Corresponding author: SU Xiang-qian??E-mail: suxiangqian@bjmu.edu.cn
Abstract Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by radical surgery including total mesorectal excision (TME) is standard treatment in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The benefits of neoadjuvant CRT have been well documented and include tumor regression and downstaging associated with increased tumor respectability, reduced local recurrence and a higher rate of sphincter preservation. Radical surgery for rectal cancer carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality and can also greatly detract from a patient’s quality of life. In light of the significant response rates that can be achieved with preoperative CRT, some scholars have suggested limiting further surgical therapy to local excision alone or to observation for patients with clinical complete response (cCR). This article summarizes the latest development of management strategies for complete responders after neoadjuvant CRT for rectal cancer.