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Role of Chemotherapy in the Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant Setting for Patients With Rectal Adenocarcinoma Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy and Surgery or Radiotherapy and Surgery

  • Gastrointestinal Cancers (J Meyer, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Rectal cancer has been successfully managed in the last couple of decades. In the USA, as the initial approach, neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation has been associated not only with decrease in tumor size and recurrence but also with higher resection rate with minimal side effects. Data support that addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy is superior to radiotherapy alone in the neoadjuvant setting. Recent debates have addressed the question of administration of adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery. In this article, we discuss the role of chemotherapy in both the neoadjuvant and the adjuvant settings for locally advanced rectal cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 426, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Shahab Ahmed & Cathy Eng

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  1. Shahab Ahmed
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  2. Cathy Eng
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Correspondence to Cathy Eng.

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Shahab Ahmed and Cathy Eng declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Gastrointestinal Cancers

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Ahmed, S., Eng, C. Role of Chemotherapy in the Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant Setting for Patients With Rectal Adenocarcinoma Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy and Surgery or Radiotherapy and Surgery. Curr Oncol Rep 20, 3 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-018-0652-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-018-0652-7

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