Nonoperative management in low-lying rectal cancers undergoing chemoradiation

To evaluate outcomes of postneoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACTRT) wait and watch strategy (WWS) in distal rectal cancers.

All consecutive patients from December 2012 to 2019 diagnosed with distal rectal tumors (T2-T4 N0-N+) having a complete or near-complete response (cCR or nCR respectively) post-NACTRT and wished for nonsurgical treatment option of WWS were included in this study. Patients were observed with 3 monthly MRI, sigmoidoscopy, and digital rectal examination (DRE) for 2 years and 6 monthly thereafter. Organ preservation rate (OPR), local regrowth rate (LRR), nonregrowth recurrence-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and factors associated with LRR were identified on univariate and multivariate analysis using the log-rank test (P < 0.05 significant).

Sixty-one consecutive patients post-NACTRT, achieving cCR [44 (72%)] and nCR [17 (28%)], respectively, were identified. All patients received pelvic radiotherapy to a dose of 45-50Gy conventional fractionation with concurrent Capecitabine. Additional boost dose with either external beam or brachytherapy was given to 39 patients. At a median follow-up of 39 months, 11 (18%) patients had local regrowth, of which seven were salvaged with surgery and the rest are alive with disease, as they refused surgery. The overall OPR, nonregrowth recurrence-free survival, OS was 83%, 95%, and 98%, respectively. Seven (11%) patients developed distant metastasis, of which six underwent metastasectomy and are alive and well. LRR was higher in patients with nCR versus cCR (P = 0.05).

The wait-and-watch strategy is a safe nonoperative alternative management for selected patients attaining cCR/nCR after NACTRT with excellent outcomes.