International journal of colorectal disease
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Int J Colorectal Dis · Feb 2013
miRNA expressions in rectal cancer as predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy.
Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy has been shown to improve the outcome in patients with rectal cancer and is generally accepted as standard care; however, only selected patients would benefit from this treatment. We aimed to identify predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy in colorectal cancer using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues as source of genetic materials and microarray analysis as investigation tool. ⋯ Using microarray analysis of pretreatment FFPE rectal cancer tissues, we identified for the first time a group of miRNA predictors of response to neoadjuvant CRT. This, indeed, can lead to a significant improvement in patient selection criteria and personalized rectal cancer management.
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Int J Colorectal Dis · Feb 2013
The association of hospital volume with rectal cancer surgery outcomes.
An association between hospital volume and postoperative mortality has been identified for several oncologic surgical procedures. Our objective was to analyze differences in surgical outcomes for patients with rectal cancer according to hospital volume in the state of California. ⋯ These data indicate that hospital volume correlates with improved outcomes in rectal cancer surgery. Rectal cancer patients may benefit from lower mortality and increased sphincter preservation in higher-volume centers.