Short-course preoperative radiotherapy with immediate surgery versus long-course chemoradiation with delayed surgery in the treatment of rectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundLong-course chemoradiotherapy (LCRT) with delayed surgery or short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) with immediate surgery is probably the most frequent regimen in the treatment of rectal cancer. Debate is still going on whether SCRT or LCRT is more effective. So we performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SCRT with immediate surgery versus LCRT with delayed surgery for the management of rectal cancer.MethodsLiterature were searched from PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Cochrane Library up to May, 2014. Quality of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was evaluated according to the Cochrane's risk of bias tool of RCT. RevMan 5.3 was used for statistical analysis. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were employed to explore heterogeneity.Results16 trials were included in the qualitative systematic review. 12 trials were included in meta-analyses. 4 of them were RCTs; other 8 were non-RCTs. Meta-analysis demonstrated that there were no significant differences in overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), local recurrence rate (LRR), distant metastasis rate (DMR), sphincter preservation rate, R0 resection rate and late toxicity. Compared with SCRT, LCRT obviously increased pCR rate [RR = 0.15, 95%CI (0.08, 0.28), P = 0.003], while LCRT obviously increased the grade 3–4 acute toxicity [RR = 0.13, 95%CI (0.06, 0.28), P < 0.00001].ConclusionsSCRT with immediate surgery is as effective as LCRT with delayed surgery for treatment of rectal cancer in terms of OS, DFS, LRR, DMR, Sphincter preservation rate, R0 resection rate and late toxicity. Though LCRT increased pCR rate, LCRT also increased acute toxicity compared with SCRT. SCRT is a better choice in centers with a long waiting list or lack of medical resources.     

以奈达铂联合多西紫杉醇为基础的同步放化疗治疗不可手术食管癌的临床结果

目的探讨奈达铂（NDP）联合多西紫杉醇（TXT）同步放疗治疗不可手术食管癌的临床疗效及不良反应。方法研究对象为2008年5月～2010年9月我院收治的84例不可手术食管癌患者,将其随机分为NDP＋TXT治疗组、NDP治疗组、TXT治疗组及对照组,每组各21例,所有患者给予放化疗联合治疗。对照组给予顺铂（DDP）＋5-氟尿嘧啶（5-Fu）。21 d为1个疗程,至少治疗2个疗程。结果 NDP＋TXT治疗组总有效率为80.95%,NDP治疗组总有效率为52.38%,TXT治疗组总有效率为57.14%,对照组总有效率为38.10%,NDP＋TXT治疗组与NDP治疗组、TXT治疗组及对照组相比差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。NDP＋TXT治疗组、NDP治疗组、TXT治疗组骨髓抑制发生率显著高于对照组（P〈0.05）;对照组胃肠道反应发生率较其他各组明显（P〈0.05）,NDP＋TXT治疗组、NDP治疗组、TXT治疗组之间不良反应发生率差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论 NDP联合TXT同步放疗治疗不可手术食管癌疗效好,可有效延长患者的寿命,值得临床上推广应用。     

Explanation for the failure of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to improve outcomes after radiotherapy for locally advanced uterine cervical cancer from the standpoint of the tumor regression rate

Purpose Treatment outcomes for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer are no better with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) combined with radiotherapy (RT) than with RT alone. We investigated the reason for this failure from the standpoint of the tumor regression rate (RR). Materials and methods A total of 48 patients with clinical stage IIB-IVA cervical squamous cell carcinoma were treated clinically with cisplatin-based NAC plus RT (n = 15) or RT alone (n = 33). The RR was defined as the slope of a tumor shrinkage curve derived with magnetic resonance images. The local control rate (LCR) and disease-free rate (DFR) were estimated by clinical stage (IIB vs. III-IVA), pretreatment volume (≤ median vs. > median), lymph node status (negative vs. positive), treatment type, overall treatment time (≤8 weeks vs. >8 weeks), and RR (≤ median vs. > median) using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results RR during NAC or during NAC and RT (n = 15) was not significantly higher than RR by RT alone (n = 33). Low RR and positive nodal status were significantly powerful prognostic factors for both the LCR and DFR, whereas the others were not. Conclusion Although effective in reducing tumor volume prior to RT, NAC showed no overall effect in increasing the RR, which was shown to be the most powerful prognostic factor. Part of this study was presented at the 17th International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment (January 30–February 2, 2006, Paris) and the 65th Annual Meeting of the Japan Radiological Society (April 7–9, 2006, Yokohama)     

Accuracy and reproducibility of 3D-CT measurements for early response assessment of chemoradiotherapy in patients with oesophageal cancer

Background

Chemoradiotherapy is increasingly applied in patients with oesophageal cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine whether 3D-CT volumetry is able to differentiate between responding and non-responding oesophageal tumours early in the course of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Patients and methods

Serial CT before and after two weeks of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was performed in the multimodality treatment arm of a randomised trial including patients with oesophageal carcinoma. CT response was measured with the change in tumour volume between baseline and after 14 days of neoadjuvant therapy. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the ability of 3D-CT as an early imaging marker of response.

Results

CT response analysis was performed in 39 patients, of whom 26 patients were histopathological responders. Median tumour volume increased between baseline and after 14 days of chemoradiotherapy in histopathological responders as well as in non-responders, though changes were not statistically significant. The area under the ROC curve was 0.71.

Conclusion

Tumour volume changes after 14 days of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy as measured by 3D-CT were not associated with histopathological tumour response. CT volumetry should not be used for early response assessment in patients with potentially curable oesophageal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.     

高强度聚焦超声联合化放疗治疗大肠癌肝转移

目的评价高强度聚焦超声联合化放疗与单纯化放疗治疗大肠癌肝转移的近期临床疗效。方法大肠癌肝转移93例,48例采用HIFU联合化放疗(HIFU组),与45例单纯采用化放疗(对照组)对比,评价两组的近期临床疗效。结果 HIFU组总有效率56.3%(27/48),对照组总有效率35.6%(16/45),两组有效率差异有显著性(P<0.05)。结论 HIFU联合化放疗治疗大肠癌肝转移近期有效率明显优于单纯化放疗。     

Adjuvant chemoradiation for patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas: an expirence of single institute

Only a small percentage of patients with pancreatic cancer have limited disease suitable for curative resection. Even with surgery, patients often have poor long-term survival due to relapse of the disease. There are controversies about the adjuvant treatment of these patients. We reported the survival of resected pancreatic cancer from a single institute. About 128 consecutive patients who had complete resection of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were evaluated, retrospectively. Chemoradiotherapy (45 Gy plus 5-fluorouracil) was given to 63 patients. Fifty-five patients declined to take chemoradiotherapy or with poor performance status were observed without additional treatment. Eight patients took only chemotherapy and two patients took only radiotherapy. The median survival of chemoradiotherapy group was significantly higher than the observation group (13 months vs. 4 months, respectively; P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses the most important factors improving survival were the application of chemoradiation (P < 0.001), low-level serum LDH (P = 0.026), good performance status (P = 0.033) and low serum CA19-9 (P = 0.037). Although adjuvant chemoradiotherapy has a significant survival benefit when compared with the observation group, the survival data are still poor for pancreatic cancer. Therefore, we need more effective additional or adjuvant treatment modalities.