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Interval between neoadjuvant treatment and definitive surgery in locally advanced rectal cancer: impact on response and oncologic outcomes

  • Original Article – Cancer Research
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The optimal waiting period between neoadjuvant treatment completion and surgery in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is controversial. The specific purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of prolonging this interval on the pathologic response, postoperative morbidity, and long-term oncologic outcomes.

Methods

Retrospective data analysis is reported from LARC patients who had been treated with chemoradiation followed by surgery and intra-operative radiotherapy, between February 1995 and December 2012. In total, two groups were studied, according to the time elapsed between neoadjuvant treatment and surgery: conventional interval (CI; <6 weeks) and delayed interval (DI; ≥6 weeks). Clinicopathological data related to tumor response, postoperative morbidity, and oncologic outcomes were compared.

Results

This study included 335 consecutive LARC patients. There was a higher proportion of patients with clinical staging nodal involvement (cN+) in the DI group (76.6 vs. 64.1 %; p = 0.01). The pathologic complete response (pCR) was not significantly different among groups (8.8 vs. 12.1 %; p = 0.34). Longer intervals did not affect complication incidence or severity or hospital admission length. Certain postneoadjuvant tumor effect parameters were significantly increased in the DI group, including N-downstaging and T-downsizing. After a median follow-up of 71 months, patients in the DI group presented with superior 5-year overall survival (OS) (55.9 vs. 70.4 %, p = 0.014); however, no statistically significant differences were observed in 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) or 5-year local control (LC) (69.9 vs. 74.9 %, p = 0.223; 90.4 vs. 94.5 %, p = 0.123, respectively).

Conclusions

A modest surgical interval delay (≥6 weeks) did not increase postoperative complications and was identified as a favorable prognostic factor for OS, although no differences were observed in pCR, LC, or DFS. Innovative multidisciplinary strategies incorporating further time extension of the surgical interval can be safely explored.

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Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. Authors also state that they have complete control of all primary data and they agree the journal to review it, if requested.

Ethical standard

This research was performed in accordance with ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital General Universitário Gregório Marañón, Madrid, Spain

    Felipe A. Calvo, Javier Serrano, Marina Gomez-Espí, Marcos Rodriguez, Emilio del Vale, Jose Luis Gracia-Sabrido & Claudio Sole

  2. Hospital Provincial de Castellon, Castellon, Spain

    Virginia Morillo & Carlos Ferrer

  3. Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, s/n, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Marcos Santos

Authors
  1. Felipe A. Calvo
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  2. Virginia Morillo
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  3. Marcos Santos
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  4. Javier Serrano
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  5. Marina Gomez-Espí
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  6. Marcos Rodriguez
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  7. Emilio del Vale
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  8. Jose Luis Gracia-Sabrido
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  9. Carlos Ferrer
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  10. Claudio Sole
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcos Santos.

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Calvo, F.A., Morillo, V., Santos, M. et al. Interval between neoadjuvant treatment and definitive surgery in locally advanced rectal cancer: impact on response and oncologic outcomes. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 140, 1651–1660 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1718-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1718-z

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