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Published on: February 12, 2022
[Clinical and oncological results of the pathological complete response in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant treatment]
Antonio Codina Cazador1, Ramón Farres Coll, Francesc Olivet Pujol
1Unidad de Coloproctología, Servicio de Cirugía General y Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario de Girona Dr. J. Trueta, Gerona, España. acodinac.girona.ics@gencat.cat
Introduction:
Neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy is the treatment of choice for rectal cancer in order to reduce local recurrence. Patients with a pathological complete response (PCR) have a better prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of PCR on the oncological outcomes in our patients.
Methods:
All patients with stage ii/iii rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy and radical resection between 2007 and 2011 were identified from a prospective database, and grouped based on whether they achieved PCR or not (non-PCR). Clinical, histological and oncological outcome data were compared.
Results:
A total of 162 patients were included (62% men), with a mean age of 65 years. In terms of pre-operative TNM staging, 82 patients (50%) were T2, 75 (46%) were T3, and 5 (3%) were T4. Forty-two patients (25%) were N1, and 87 (53%) were N2. Low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection were performed in 125 (77%) and 25 (15%) patients. Forty-three patients (26.5%) had postoperative morbidity. PCR was achieved in 19 patients (11.7%). After a median follow-up of 26 months, there are no recurrences in the PCR group, and in the non-PCR group, local recurrence was 1.4% (P=.78), and distant metastasis was 8.4% (P=.21). Overall survival (P=.39) and survival free of diseases (P=.23) were better in the PCR group, but the differences were not significant.
Conclusion:
Patients with pathological complete response have better oncological outcome.
