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Effectiveness of Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

  • Gastrointestinal Oncology
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) combines precise target visualization with optimal delivery of radiation dose to spare normal tissue from radiation and may potentially reduce side-effects and long-term treatment complications. We have assessed the effectiveness of IGRT for locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods

A retrospective review of 22 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent preoperative chemoradiation was conducted.

Results

Nineteen patients (median age, 69 years) underwent surgical resection after chemoradiation. All 19 patients achieved complete resection with negative margins. Seven patients (32%) had no residual tumor in the surgical specimen. One patient had grade 4 gastrointestinal toxicity and hematological toxicity probably related to inadvertent overdosing of capecitabine. The median survival for the whole group—patients who had pCR and those who did not have pCR—was 14, 17, and 15 months, respectively.

Conclusions

Image-guided radiotherapy provided effective treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer with minimal toxicity and should be investigated in future prospective trials.

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Conflict of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Nam P. Nguyen MD, Misty Ceizyk CMD, Fabio Almeida MD, Alexander Chi MD, Thomas Sroka MD, Deirdre Cohen MD, Siyoung Jang PhD, Dave Abraham CMD, Michelle Stevie BS, Lexie Smith-Raymond CMD & Shane Krafft BS

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Homayoun Modarresifar MD

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Michael Betz MD & Vincent Vinh-Hung MD

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  1. Nam P. Nguyen MD
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  2. Misty Ceizyk CMD
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Correspondence to Nam P. Nguyen MD.

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Nguyen, N.P., Ceizyk, M., Almeida, F. et al. Effectiveness of Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 18, 380–385 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-010-1329-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-010-1329-0

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