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Choosing between short-course preoperative radiotherapy and long-course chemoradiation therapy

  • Published:
Current Colorectal Cancer Reports

Abstract

Recent randomized controlled trials have established that two different adjuvant preoperative pelvic radiation regimens both improve outcome. This article compares and contrasts short-course radiation of 25 Gy given in five fractions and concurrent chemoradiotherapy using 45 to 55.8 Gy of radiation with a concurrent fluoropyrimidine in resectable rectal cancer. It also discusses the evidence directly comparing these two approaches and explores the possible reasons for the variation in their use internationally.

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  1. St. James’s Institute of Oncology, Bexley Wing, St. James University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK

    David Sebag-Montefiore

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  1. David Sebag-Montefiore
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  2. Ganesh Radhakrishna
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Correspondence to David Sebag-Montefiore.

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Sebag-Montefiore, D., Radhakrishna, G. Choosing between short-course preoperative radiotherapy and long-course chemoradiation therapy. Curr colorectal cancer rep 5, 232–239 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-009-0032-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-009-0032-7

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