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Pre-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy for non-resectable rectal cancer
1Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Australia.
Background:
The treatment results of combined pre-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy followed by surgery for patients with initially non-resectable primary rectal cancer were reviewed.
Methods:
Thirteen patients with locally advanced non-resectable rectal cancer were treated with pre-operative irradiation consisting of 50.4-54 Gy plus concomitant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) delivered during the 1st and 5th weeks of radiotherapy.
Results:
Following pre-operative therapy, the resectability rate was 91%, with all but one patient undergoing complete resection. The pathologic complete response rate was 10%. The overall peri-operative and postoperative complication rate was 0.8 complications per patient. There was no postoperative mortality.
Conclusions:
This early experience indicates that high resectability rates are achievable with pre-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy for non-resectable rectal cancer while maintaining acceptable postoperative morbidity.