title: Treatment interruption and discontinuation in radiotherapy for rectal cancer.
abstract: Radiotherapy with chemotherapy for rectal cancer reduces local recurrence risk. Of 113 patients (59 male, 54 female) undergoing treatment at New York Presbyterian Hospital, 1998-2007, 6 discontinued radiotherapy; all were female. Females were also more likely to have a treatment interruption (35% vs 12%, p = .004). Other factors associated with treatment interruption included adjuvant versus neoadjuvant therapy (OR 14.08, 95%CI 1.55-127.87), use of capecitabine versus 5-fluorouracil (OR 75.90, 95%CI 3.33->999), and development of any adverse event (OR 20.66, 95%CI 1.76-242.12). While radiotherapy discontinuation was uncommon in our cohort, for unknown reasons, females were more likely to discontinue or interrupt treatment.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine,1 and Radiation Oncology,2 Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lebwohl
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ballas
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Galant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Reuven
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sherr
authors.forename: Shermian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woodhouse
authors.forename: Alfred I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Neugut
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012727:Sex Characteristics