PREOPERATIVE RADIOTHERAPY AND CHEMOTHERAPY FOR NONRESECTABLE RECTAL-CANCER

Background: The treatment results of combined pre-operative radiothera py and chemotherapy followed by surgery for patients with initially no n-resectable primary rectal cancer were reviewed. Methods: Thirteen pa tients with locally advanced non-resectable rectal cancer were treated with pre-operative irradiation consisting of 50.4-54 Gy plus concomit ant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) delivered during the 1st and 5th weeks of ra diotherapy. Results: Following pre-operative therapy, the resectabilit y rate was 91%, with all but one patient undergoing complete resection . The pathologic complete response rate was 10%. The overall peri-oper ative and postoperative complication rate was 0.8 complications per pa tient. There was no postoperative mortality.Conclusions: This early ex perience indicates that high resectability rates are achievable with p re-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy for non-resectable rectal c ancer while maintaining acceptable postoperative morbidity.