Original Article
Timing of surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer: a retrospective analysis from an academic medical center
Abstract
Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) has been shown to achieve decreased local recurrence (LR) with lower toxicity in rectal cancer patients, but data confirming the optimal timing of surgery following this therapy is less robust.
Methods: The University of Iowa Cancer Registry was queried to identify all patients with stages II–III rectal cancer who received nCRT and surgery from 2000 through 2012. Primary endpoints were time interval to surgery (TI), and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included pathologic outcomes, perioperative morbidities and postoperative complications. Patient characteristics and treatment regimens were compared. Univariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to study the association between TI and OS. Associations of TI with secondary endpoints were tested using Chi-square tests of association.
Results: Eighty-seven patients presented with stages II–III rectal cancer. Mean TI was 9.92 weeks. There was no significant association between TI and OS when comparing <8 to ≥8 weeks (P=0.23) or when considering the interval as a continuous variable (P=0.85). Increased LOS [median 7.00 days, P=0.05, HR 1.03 (1.00–1.06)] did correlate with worse survival outcomes. Delaying surgery beyond 8 weeks was associated with increased risk for wound infection (P=0.05).
Conclusions: OS was not influenced by longer intervals between nCRT and surgery. Delaying surgery beyond 8 weeks was associated with increased risk for wound infection.
Methods: The University of Iowa Cancer Registry was queried to identify all patients with stages II–III rectal cancer who received nCRT and surgery from 2000 through 2012. Primary endpoints were time interval to surgery (TI), and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included pathologic outcomes, perioperative morbidities and postoperative complications. Patient characteristics and treatment regimens were compared. Univariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to study the association between TI and OS. Associations of TI with secondary endpoints were tested using Chi-square tests of association.
Results: Eighty-seven patients presented with stages II–III rectal cancer. Mean TI was 9.92 weeks. There was no significant association between TI and OS when comparing <8 to ≥8 weeks (P=0.23) or when considering the interval as a continuous variable (P=0.85). Increased LOS [median 7.00 days, P=0.05, HR 1.03 (1.00–1.06)] did correlate with worse survival outcomes. Delaying surgery beyond 8 weeks was associated with increased risk for wound infection (P=0.05).
Conclusions: OS was not influenced by longer intervals between nCRT and surgery. Delaying surgery beyond 8 weeks was associated with increased risk for wound infection.
