[Decrease of the number of involved lymph nodes after preoperative chemoradiotherapy in rectal carcinoma]

The total of 296 T3-4NO-2 Federal Coloproctology Science Center colon cancer patients received treatment since 2004 to 2011, 165 patients (main group) also received treatment (pre- and postoperative irradiation, surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy) in P.A.Herzen State Clinical Research Center for Oncology. The control group (131 patients) received only surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy. Based on our results, prolonged chemoradiotherapy leads to statistically significant decrease of regional mesorectal lymph nodes metastases, the decrease is most evident in N1 stage patients group (1-3 lymph nodes metastases). However, the number of diagnosed involved lymph nodes also depends on the depth of tumor penetration and the timing between chemoradiotherapy and surgery. The most important prognostic criterion is not the state of involved lymph nodes, but their number.