title: Postoperative 5-FU based radiochemotherapy in rectal cancer: retrospective long term results and prognostic factors of a pooled analysis on 1,338 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate survival outcomes of patients in pStage II-III rectal cancer treated with adjuvant 5-fluorouracil-based radiochemotherapy and to retrospectively analyze the impact of prognostic variables on local control, metastasis-free survival and cause-specific survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,338 patients, treated between 1985-2005 for locally advanced rectal cancer, who underwent surgery and postoperative 5-fluorouracil-based chemoradiation, were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The actuarial 5- and 10-year outcomes were: local control 87.0%-84.1%, disease-free survival 61.6%-52.1%, metastasis-free survival 72.0%-67.2%, cause-specific survival 70.4%-57.5%, and overall survival 63.8%-53.4%. Better outcomes were observed in patients with IIA, IIIA stage. Multivariate analyses showed that variables significantly affecting metastasis-free survival were pT4 and pN2, while for cancer-specific survival those variables were age >65 years, pT4, pN1, pN2, distal tumors and number of lymph nodes removed ≤ 12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that among stage II-III rectal cancer patients there are subgroups of patients with different clinical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, "SS Annunziata" Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, Via dei Vestini, 66100, Chieti, Italy. d.genovesi@unich.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Genovesi
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Myerson
authors.forename: Giampiero Ausili
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cèfaro
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vinciguerra
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Augurio
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trignani
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DI Tommaso
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nuzzo
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lupattelli
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aristei
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellavita
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scandolaro
authors.forename: Dorian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pani
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ziccarelli
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gambacorta
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Barba
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maranzano
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trippa
authors.forename: Piera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sciacero
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niespolo
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iannone
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rosetto
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanpaolo
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melano
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valvo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capirci
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DE Paoli
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DI Nicola
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mantello
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valentini
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005472:Fluorouracil
keywords: Rectal cancer; adjuvant therapy; prognostic factors; staging