Short-Term Results of the SONCAR Study: Optimized Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer...

This research endeavored to ascertain whether four cycles of oxaliplatin in conjunction with standard radiation (oxaliplatin-CRT) could enhance overall survival when compared with standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). A Phase III randomized trial (SONCAR Trial, NCT02031939) was conducted in China, involving patients diagnosed with clinical T3-4 and/or N+ rectal cancer. Patients were randomly allocated to the experimental arm (receiving pelvic radiation (50 Gy/25 fractions) in conjunction with oxaliplatin and capecitabine) or the control arm (pelvic radiation in conjunction with capecitabine alone). The main endpoint was a 5-year OS, while the secondary objectives encompassed pathological complete response (pCR), 3-year disease-free survival, and surgical complications. A total of 536 patients were assessable. The rate of pCR was notably higher in the experimental group (31.9%) than in the control group (21.5%) (p = 0.008). The clinical complete response (cCR) rate was also higher in the experimental group (p = 0.024). Among patients with tumors located within 5 cm of the anal verge, the experimental group exhibited a significantly greater tumor regression, with rates of 33.8% compared to 21.6% in the control group (p = 0.024). In summary, oxaliplatin-CRT significantly augmented the tumor response in LARC patients with manageable toxicity.