title: Benefit of tegafur-uracil and leucovorin in chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Concomitant chemotherapy increases the therapeutic effect of preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer. The aim was to investigate the clinical benefit of tegafur-uracil (UFT) and leucovorin (LV) in preoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had undergone curative resections of rectal cancers following preoperative radiotherapy (50-50.4Gy) with UFT and LV (CRT group: n=30) or radiotherapy without chemotherapy (RT group: n=33) were studied. Clinical outcomes were compared between both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Responders to preoperative therapy (>66% pathological resolution of their cancer) comprised 56.7% and 36.4% of the CRT and RT groups, respectively. Complete response was observed in 10.0% and in 6.1% of the CRT and RT groups, respectively. Pathological lymph node metastasis was positive in 10.0% and in 39.4% of the CRT and RT groups, respectively (p=0.0001). Sphincter-preserving surgery was performed in more patients in the CRT group than in the RT group (63.3% vs. 36.4%, p=0.04). Anastomotic leakage or pelvic abscess was seen in 6.7% and 27.3% of the CRT and RT groups, respectively. Anal function, estimated by the frequency of defecation and the Wexner incontinence score, was equally fair in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of UFT and LV enhanced the pathological response to preoperative radiotherapy, especially that of lymph node metastasis, and increased the frequency of sphincter-preserving surgery without compromising postoperative course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan. sochan31@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Tamuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayama
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Keijiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014498:Uracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005641:Tegafur; D014498:Uracil; D002955:Leucovorin