title: Differences in tissue degeneration between preoperative chemotherapy and preoperative chemoradiotherapy for colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for rectal cancer is administered to improve local control, but can also induce severe anal dysfunction after surgery, while preoperative chemotherapy that significantly reduces the primary lesion in rectal cancer has recently been developed. The aim of the study was to examine differences in the effects of preoperative CRT and chemotherapy on tissue degeneration of patients with colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 91 patients, including 68 with rectal cancer who underwent internal sphincteric resection with (n = 47, CRT group) or without (n = 21, control group) preoperative CRT, and 23 with colorectal cancer who received preoperative FOLFOX treatment. Peripheral nerve degeneration was evaluated histopathologically using H&E-stained sections, based on karyopyknosis, disparity of the nucleus, denucleation, vacuolar or acidophilic degeneration of the cytoplasm, and adventitial neuronal changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of neural degeneration was significantly higher in the CRT group than in the control group and FOLFOX group. There were no differences in any items of neural degeneration between the FOLFOX and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CRT induced marked neural degeneration around the rectal tumor. FOLFOX treatment produced mild neural degeneration similar to that in the control group.
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Surgery Division, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8577, Japan. ynishizawa-ths@umin.net
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugito
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D011300:Preoperative Care
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil