Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Radiation Planning Assistant - A Streamlined, Fully Automated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System
Published on: April 11, 2018
Planned Short-Course Radiation (scRT) is Superior to Upfront Concurrent Chemoradiation (CCRT) in Treating Metastatic
Hao-Wei Teng1,2, Jen-Kou Lin3,4, Tzu-Chen Lin3,4
1Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, 112, Taiwan. hwteng1971@gmail.com.
Background Or Purpose:
To compare the cost-performance between planned short-course radiation and upfront concurrent chemoradiation on metastatic rectal cancer.
Methods:
A total of 75 patients with metastatic rectal cancer who underwent planned short-course radiation or upfront concurrent chemoradiation were enrolled. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compute the survival rates. The χ2 test was used to compare baseline characteristics. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to determine the prognostic influence of clinicopathological factors.
Results:
The planned short-course radiation is superior to upfront concurrent chemoradiation in overall survival for the patients with metastatic rectal cancer (34.8 vs. 20.2 months, P = 0.010). The planned short-course radiation was an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.009, HR (95% CI) = 0.319(0.135-0.752)). The efficacy of radiation on downstaging was similar between planned short-course radiation and upfront concurrent chemoradiation. The total cost of concurrent chemoradiation is 4.52-fold more expensive than that of short-course radiation (340,142 vs. 75,106 NT dollars, respectively).
Conclusions:
Based on the impressive cost-performance of planned short-course radiation compared with upfront concurrent chemoradiation (better OS, modest downstaging and lower cost), planned short-course radiation should be the preferred radiation approach for managing metastatic rectal cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Biological Effects of Radiation
Assessing Body Temperature - Rectal
Follow these steps for rectal temperature assessment:
Step 1: Perform hand hygiene and don clean gloves to prevent cross-infection.
Step 2: Position the patient in a side-lying position to better visualize the rectal...
Sampling Plans
Random sampling is a method where each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample. It involves selecting individuals randomly, often using random number generators or lottery-type methods. For example, when analyzing the properties of a...
Radiation: Applications
The average...
Absorption of Radiation
Planning Nursing Care I

