Preoperative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer - Is survival improved? An update of the "Nordic" LARC study in non-resectable cancers

Morten Brændengen; Bengt Glimelius

doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2018.05.004

Preoperative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer - Is survival improved? An update of the "Nordic" LARC study in non-resectable cancers

Radiother Oncol. 2018 Jun;127(3):392-395. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2018.05.004. Epub 2018 May 16.

Authors

Morten Brændengen¹, Bengt Glimelius²

Affiliations

¹ Section of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: uxbrnm@ous-hf.no.
² Section of Experimental and Clinical Oncology, Department of Immunology, Genetics & Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

PMID: 29778486
DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2018.05.004

Abstract

The randomized "Nordic" LARC study compared preoperative long-course radiotherapy alone (RT) or with chemotherapy (CRT) in the most locally advanced/ugly rectal cancers. Despite significantly better local control in the CRT group, no overall survival benefit was seen after 10 years follow-up. The relations between local control and survival are discussed.

Keywords: Chemoradiotherapy; Non-resectable; Radiotherapy; Rectal cancer; Survival.

Publication types

Clinical Trial, Phase III
Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Aged
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
Chemoradiotherapy / methods
Chemoradiotherapy / mortality
Female
Fluorouracil / administration & dosage
Humans
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Leucovorin / administration & dosage
Male
Middle Aged
Neoadjuvant Therapy
Preoperative Care / methods
Radiotherapy
Rectal Neoplasms / mortality
Rectal Neoplasms / therapy*

Substances

Leucovorin
Fluorouracil