[Efficiency of pre-operative chemoradiotherapy in treating a case of advanced rectal cancer]

There is insufficient evidence for the pre-operative use of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in treatment of advanced rectal cancers, and its efficiency and safety are unclear. However, it has recently been suggested that a new class of carcinostatic agents are more effective during preoperative CRT. Under the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, 5-FU and capecitabine have been recommended as the standard drugs for use during combination chemoradiotherapy. The Japanese Society for Cancer of Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) guidelines for 2014 also recommend the use of both drugs during preoperative CRT. We report a case of rectal cancer, which was successfully treated with radical resection and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.