Nonoperative versus operative approach according to the response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: A prospective cohort study
P. Bulens, Lien Smets, Annelies Debucquoy, Ines Joye, André D’Hoore, Albert Wolthuis, Lynn Debrun, Jeroen Dekervel, Eric Van Cutsem, Raphaëla C. Dresen, Vincent Vandecaveye, Christophe M. Deroose, Xavier Sagaert, Karin Haustermans
Abstract
Purpose: To report on organ preservation following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in a prospective cohort of locally advanced rectal cancer patients. Methods and materials: F-FDG-PET/CT and endoscopy. For clinical complete response or minimal residual disease, a watch-and-wait (W&W) protocol was started.Regrowth-free survival (ReFS), Total Mesorectal Excision-free disease-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method. Functional outcome was compared with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test using EORTC QLQ-C30, MSKCC BFI, LARS and IIEF-5/FSFI-5 questionnaires. A previously developed prediction model performance was tested using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: 29/52 patients entered a W&W protocol. There was no difference in two-year DMFS (81.1 % vs 78.8 %, p = 0.82), two-year OS (96.4 % vs 100 %, p = 0.38) and two-year DFS (77.5 % vs 78.8 %, p = 0.87) between W&W patients and those who underwent surgery at 12 weeks after CRT. Two-year DMFS differed between W&W with local regrowth, W&W with sustained response and patients who had surgery (66.7 % vs 88.0 % vs 78.8 %; p = 0.04). At 6 and 12 months, W&W patients reported good QoL and bowel function. The model validation reached an AUC of 0.627. Conclusion: Good functional outcome in patients with rectal cancer allocated to surveillance after CRT needs to be balanced against potentially worse DMFS in a subset of patients without sustained clinical complete response. Reliable prediction of patients eligible for surveillance programs needs further investigation.