title: Preoperative treatment does not improve the therapeutic results of abdominosacral amputation of the rectum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study reviewed the impact of preoperative chemoradiotherapy/short-term radiotherapy on abdominosacral amputations of the rectum (ASAR) for the treatment of low-rectum cancers in terms of postoperative morbidity, local recurrence rates, and survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 198 patients with stage II and III tumors located within 6 cm of the anorectal junction underwent ASAR between 1998 and 2008 and were selected for further analysis. Patients were compared according to the following groups: those who had surgery only (Group A) and those who had preoperative chemoradiotherapy/short-term radiotherapy (Group B).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 44 and 154 patients in Groups A and B, respectively, including 135 males. The median age of the subjects was 63 years (range = 35-88). The median follow-up period was 81 months (range = 23-138). Neither the local recurrence rates (6.8% in Group A vs. 4.6% in Group B, p = 0.544) nor the 5-year relative survival rates (72.4% in Group A vs. 69.3% in Group B, p = 0.127) differed significantly between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative therapy in low-rectum cancer does not improve the therapeutic results of ASAR.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Surgical Oncology, Regional Comprehensive Cancer Center, pl. Hirszfelda 12, 53-413, Wroclaw, Poland. bebmar@dco.com.pl
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bębenek
authors.forename: Wiesław
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tupikowski
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cisarż
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balcerzak
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wojciechowski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stankowska
authors.forename: Radosław
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarkowski
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing