title: Adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy for resectable rectal cancer.
abstract: Following potentially curative surgery for resectable adenocarcinoma of the rectum, the incidence of local failure is 15% to 35% in stages T3N0 and T1N1-2 and 45% to 65% in stages T4N0, T3N1-2, and T4N1-2. In order to determine the impact of pelvic radiation therapy +/- chemotherapy on local failure and survival, we present a prospective analysis of our results of 25 patients treated with this approach. The median follow-up was 30 months (range: 10 to 48 months). For the total patient group the 3-year actuarial survival was 74%. In order to more accurately analyze the patterns of failure, actuarial calculations were performed. The actuarial incidence of local failure as a component of failure was 17%. For patients with node positive disease (T1-4N1-2), the overall survival was 80%, and the actuarial incidence of local failure as a component of failure was 15%. Complications were acceptable and the incidence of small bowel obstruction requiring surgery was 8%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Minsky
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Enker
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kelsen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kemeny
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sigurdson
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate