title: Preoperative versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for surgically curable carcinoma of the rectum and distal sigmoid colon.
abstract: From January 1979 to October 1986, 86 patients with surgically resectable adenocarcinoma of the rectum or rectosigmoid were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy consisting of preoperative 2,400 cGy (22 patients), preoperative 4,000 cGy (14 patients), "sandwich" technique (27 patients), and postoperative irradiation (23 patients). Average follow-up was 42.9 months. The local recurrence rate was 4.5%, 9.1%, 7.4%, and 34.8%, respectively. The distant metastasis rate was 18.2%, 18.2%, 7.4%, and 30.4%, respectively. Preoperative radiotherapy with adequate surgical resection appears more effective in reducing the incidence of local recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Grant Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43215.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: McKibben
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Schloss
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Khanduja
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors