Efficacy of conversion therapy on initially unresectable locally advanced rectal cancer

Background and purpose: Research on the efficacy of conversion therapy for initially unresectable mid-low rectal cancer (IURC) remained limited. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the conversion regimen for IURC and analyze the long-term outcomes of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of clinically diagnosed IURC patients who received conversion therapy between October 2010 and April 2017. The conversion therapy consisted of long-term radiation, concurrent chemotherapy, delayed surgery and consolidation chemotherapy. The primary end point was the rate of R0 resection, and other short- and long-term outcomes were analyzed. Results: Sixty-one patients were enrolled in this study. After conversion therapy, 51 (83.6%) patients received R0 resection. The rates of pathologic complete response and downstaging were 16.4% and 62.3%, respectively. The rate of grade 3-4 chemoradiotherapy-related toxicity events was 13.1%. The overall survival at 3 years was 75.4% in all patients, and the disease-free survival at 3 years was 72.5% in patients who received R0 resection. Conclusion: The conversion regimen showed a high conversion resection rate and good survival outcomes in IURC patients, and might benefit the patients if recommended in clinical practice.