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Published in: International Journal of Colorectal Disease 3/2021

01-03-2021 | Rectal Cancer | Original Article

Downstaged ypT0-2N0 rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy may not need adjuvant chemotherapy: a retrospective cohort study

Authors: Yu-Tso Liao, Yu-Lin Lin, John Huang, Ji-Shiang Hung, Been-Ren Lin

Published in: International Journal of Colorectal Disease | Issue 3/2021

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Abstract

Purpose

Current guidelines suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) be administered to all locally advanced (clinically T3–4 or N-positivity) rectal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and radical surgical resection regardless of the final pathological staging (yp staging). This study aimed to evaluate the necessity of AC for ypT0-2N0 rectal cancer.

Methods

Patients with ypT0-2N0 rectal cancer, who received nCRT and radical surgical resection, were recruited retrospectively at a university hospital. The main outcome was to evaluate the 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between ypT0-2N0 rectal cancer patients with AC and those without AC. We also identified potential independent prognostic factors associated with poor outcomes.

Results

One hundred and ten ypT0-2N0 rectal cancer patients (ypT0: n = 6; ypT1: n = 44; ypT2: n = 60) were followed up for a median of 60 months. No significant difference was observed in DFS and 5-year OS between patients with AC and those without AC. The risk of recurrence was associated with the postoperative pathological staging (0% with ypT0, 2.4% with ypT1, and 10% with ypT2). In the multivariate analysis, retrieval of < 12 lymph nodes was an independent favorable prognostic factor, which correlated with a higher OS (HR: 2.263; 95% CI: 1.093–4.687, P = 0.028). Intra-tumor lymphovascular and perineural invasion were poor prognostic markers for shorter DFS (HR: 5.940; 95% CI: 1.150–30.696, P = 0.033).

Conclusion

Postoperative AC is not required for patients with ypT0-2N0 rectal cancer downstaged by nCRT, especially in those without poor prognostic factors.
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Metadata
Title
Downstaged ypT0-2N0 rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy may not need adjuvant chemotherapy: a retrospective cohort study
Authors
Yu-Tso Liao
Yu-Lin Lin
John Huang
Ji-Shiang Hung
Been-Ren Lin
Publication date
01-03-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
International Journal of Colorectal Disease / Issue 3/2021
Print ISSN: 0179-1958
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1262
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-020-03787-5

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