• Lin Zhao, Chunmei Bai, Yajuan Shao, Mei Guan, Ning Jia, Yi Xiao, Huizhong Qiu, Fuquan Zhang, Ti Yang, Guangxi Zhong, and Shuchang Chen.
• Department of Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China. wz20010727@yahoo.com.cn
• Cancer Lett. 2011 Nov 28; 310 (2): 134-9.

PurposeThis study evaluated the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with the XELOX regimen in rectal cancer patients.Patients And MethodsTwenty-five patients with histopathologically confirmed and locally advanced rectal cancer (T3/T4 or N+) were enrolled in the study. Radiotherapy of 5000 cGy was delivered in 25 fractions of 200 cGy five times per week for a total of 5 weeks. During the first, second, fourth and fifth weeks of radiotherapy, the patients also received the following chemotherapy: 50 mg/m2 oxaliplatin on day one and 850 mg/m2 capecitabine bid for 5 days. Surgery was scheduled 5-6 weeks after the completion of the preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Four weeks after the surgery, four more cycles of chemotherapy were administered every 3 weeks. The postoperative chemotherapy consisted of 130 mg/m2 oxaliplatin on day 1 and 1000 mg/m2 capecitabine bid from day 1 to day 14. The end points were the downstage rate, R0 resection rate, and sphincter preservation rate.ResultsTwenty-five patients received the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The overall regression rate was 85%, with a Grade 3/4 regression rate of 30% and a pathological complete response rate of 12%. Among the 17 patients with lower rectal cancer, thirteen (76%) were originally indicated for abdominal-perineal resection (APR). However, after the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, the anus could be preserved in nine patients (53%). The most frequent toxicities of the chemoradiotherapy were diarrhea (64%) and hematological toxicity (60%), followed by nausea and vomiting (48%), urinary tract irritation (28%), and anal pain (24%). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were relatively infrequent and presented as diarrhea (12%), myelosuppression (8%), and elevated transaminase (4%). Six cases also experienced long-term anal exudates after surgery.ConclusionsNeoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy using the XELOX regimen in rectal cancer patients obviously reduced the TNM staging and improved the pathological complete response rate. The therapy was well-tolerated and had mild adverse events and no serious perioperational complications.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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