Abstract

Background

The necessity for adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients who achieve pathological complete response (pCR) after pre-operative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is still not identified. We aimed to investigate the therapeutic value of ACT in these patients.

Methods

Clinical data were retrospectively collected from 105 consecutive LARC patients who achieved pCR after pre-operative CRT and underwent radical tumor resection between December 2008 and April 2014 in a comprehensive cancer center. Perioperative chemotherapy (CT) was administered by combining oxaliplatin with capecitabine (XELOX regimen). Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of patients with or without ACT were compared.

Results

Eighty-three (79.0%) patients received ACT and 22 (21.0%) did not. With a median follow-up of 49 months, the ACT group had a significantly higher 3-year DFS rate (92.8 vs 86.4%, p = 0.029) and 3-year OS rate (95.1 vs 86.1%, p = 0.026) than the non-ACT group. In multivariable analyses, the presence of ACT was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.271; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.080–0.916; p = 0.036) but not for OS. This benefit was more obvious in patients younger than 60 years via subgroup analysis (adjusted HR: 0.106; 95% CI: 0.019–0.606; p = 0.012).

Conclusions

Oxaliplatin-containing ACT may confer survival benefits to patients with pCR, particularly younger patients. However, the routine use of ACT in patients with pCR needs further validation.

Details

Title
Oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy improves the survival of locally advanced rectal cancer patients with pathological complete response after pre-operative chemoradiotherapy
Author
Jian-Hong, Peng 1 ; Jun-Zhong, Lin 1 ; Yu-Ming, Rong 2 ; Zhu, Ying 2 ; Yu-Xiang, Deng 1 ; Yu-Jie, Zhao 1 ; Zhen-Hai Lu 1 ; Xiao-Jun, Wu 1 ; Zhi-Zhong Pan 1 

 Department of Colorectal Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China 
 VIP Region, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China 
Pages
195-201
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Aug 2018
Publisher
Oxford University Press
e-ISSN
20520034
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3169734446
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press and Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.