Large Colorectal Carcinoma Is Predictive of Recurrence After Adjuvant Chemotherapy Using Oxaliplatin

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Adjuvant oxaliplatin chemotherapy improves outcomes for resected colorectal cancer.
• Factors predicting recurrence despite treatment remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify predictors of recurrence in stage II/III colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 68 patients with stage II/III colorectal cancer post-curative surgery.
• Patients received FOLFOX or CapeOX chemotherapy.
• Cox proportional-hazards model used for multivariate analysis.

Main Results:

• Nineteen patients (27.9%) experienced recurrence during a median follow-up of 17.8 months.
• Primary tumor size ≥ 45 mm was a significant predictor of recurrence (HR=3.16, p=0.039).
• Larger tumors were associated with poorer recurrence-free survival.

Conclusions:

• Primary tumor size ≥ 45 mm is a significant risk factor for recurrence in colorectal cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin.
• Colorectal tumors exceeding 45 mm should be considered high-risk even after surgery and adjuvant therapy.