Long-term outcome of local excision after complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for rectal cancer

A nomogram prediction model for lymph node metastasis risk after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer patients based on SEER database

Background

Rectal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) may have a lower cancer stage and a better prognosis. Some patients may be able to avoid invasive surgery. It is critical to accurately assess lymph node metastases (LNM) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The goal of this study is to identify clinical variables associated with LNM and to develop a nomogram for LNM prediction in rectal cancer patients following nCRT.

Methods

From 2010 to 2015, patients were drawn from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. To identify clinical factors associated with LNM, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) aggression and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. To predict the likelihood of LNM, a nomogram based on multivariate logistic regression was created using decision curve analyses.

Reslut

The total number of patients included in this study was 6,388. The proportion of patients with pCR was 17.50% (n=1118), and the proportion of patients with primary tumor pCR was 20.84% (n = 1,331). The primary tumor was pCR in 16.00% (n=213) of the patients. Age, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, and histology were found to be significant independent clinical predictors of LNM using LASSO and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The nomogram was developed based on four clinical factors. The 5-year overall survival rate was 78.9 percent for those with ypN- and 66.3 percent for those with ypN+, respectively (P<0.001).

Conclusion

Patients over 60 years old, with clinical T1-2, clinical N0, and adenocarcinoma may be more likely to achieve ypN0. The watch-and-wait (WW) strategy may be considered. Patients who had ypN0 or pCR had a better prognosis.

Local tuning of radiomics-based model for predicting pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer

PURPOSE

This study aims to further enhance a validated radiomics-based model for predicting pathologic complete response (pCR) after chemo‑radiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) for use in clinical practice.

METHODS

A generalized linear model (GLM) to predict pCR in LARC patients previously trained in Europe and validated with an external inter-continental cohort (59 patients), was first examined with further 88 intercontinental patient datasets to assess its reproducibility; then new radiomics and clinical features, and validation methods were investigated to build a new model for enhancing the pCR prediction for patients admitted to our department. The patients were divided into training group (75%) and validation group (25%) according to their demographic. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression was used to reduce the dimensionality of the extracted features of the training group and select the optimal ones; the performance of the reference GLM and enhanced models was compared through the area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics.

RESULTS

The value of AUC of the reference model was 0.831 (95% CI, 0.701-0.961), and 0.828 (95% CI, 0.700-0.956) in the original and new validation cohorts, respectively, showing a reproducibility in the applicability of the GLM model. Eight features were found to be significant with LASSO and used to establish an enhanced model. The AUC of the enhanced model of 0.926 (95% CI, 0.859-0.993) for training, and 0.926 (95% CI, 0.767-1.00) for the validation group shows better performance than the reference model.

CONCLUSIONS

The GLM model shows good reproducibility in predicting pCR in LARC; the enhanced model has the potential to improve prediction accuracy and may be a candidate in clinical practice.

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery under spinal anaesthesia

Background

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is considered the procedure of choice for rectal adenomas non-amendable for endoscopic excision and for early rectal cancer. TEM may gain more importance in patients who are considered unfit for major surgery. The option of spinal anaesthesia may offer many advantages for patients undergoing TEM while maintaining the principles of complete tumour excision. The aim of this study is to report the outcome of patients undergoing TEM under spinal anaesthesia.

Methods

Demographic and clinical data pertaining patients undergoing TEM under spinal anaesthesia between 2004 and 2015 were retrospectively collected.

Results

A total of 158 TEM procedures were recorded in the study period. Twenty-three patients (15%) underwent the procedure under spinal anaesthesia and were included in the study; 13 of them were male and ten were female. The mean age of the patients was 69.1 ± 10.6 years. Seventeen (74%) rectal lesions were adenomas, two (9%) were adenocarcinoma and four (17%) had involved margins after polypectomy. The mean tumour size was 2.1 cm (range, 0.5-3). Distance from the anal verge was 7.7 ± 2.2 cm. Seventeen (74%) lesions were in the posterior wall. The operative time was 73 min (range, 46-108) No adverse anaesthesia-related events were recorded, and the post-operative pain was reduced. The median time of hospitalisation was 2 days (range, 1-4). No major complications were noted, and the minor complications were treated conservatively. The surgical margins were free of tumour in all cases.

Conclusion

TEM under spinal anaesthesia had short duration of surgery, no increase in operative and post-operative complications or hospital length of stay. Avoiding the use of general anaesthesia, in such challenging procedure, may open new opportunities for patients determined to be unfit for general anaesthesia.

Neoadjuvant Therapy and Surgery in Rectal Adenocarcinoma: Analysis of Patients with Complete Tumor Remission

Introduction: the standard treatment for locally advanced extra-peritoneal rectal adenocarcinoma, consists of neoadjuvant treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision.

Objective: evaluate, retrospectively, the patients submitted to neoadjuvant therapy and surgery that presents with total remission of the lesion in the anatomopathological examination.

Methods: between 2000 and 2010, 212 patients underwent surgery at the Coloproctology Unit at DMAD at FCM–UNICAMP. They were grouped as: rectosigmoidectomy and colorectal anastomosis (n = 54), rectosigmoidectomy with coloanal anastomosis (n = 41), 114 abdominoperineal resection of the rectum (n = 114) and other (n = 3).

Results: thirty (14.2%) patients (mean age 57.6 years; 60% males) showed complete remission of the rectal lesion. 4 (13.3%) had compromised lymph nodes and/or lymphatic invasion

At follow-up (mean 51.9 months), 4 (13.3%) presented with local recurrence (one patient) or distant metastases (two patients had liver metastasis, one had liver and lung, and one had bone metastasis). The mean survival was 86.7%.

Conclusion: patients with a complete tumor response show ed an increased survival rate, however, the same patients without evidence of residual tumors could develop local recurrence or distant metastases on a later follow-up.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of pT2 rectal cancer spread and recurrence pattern: Implications for target design in radiation therapy for organ preservation

BACKGROUND

There are no guidelines on clinical target volume (CTV) delineation for cT2 rectal cancer treated with organ preservation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to determine the extent of distal mesorectal (DMS) and distal intramural spread (DIS), the risk of lateral lymph node (LLN) metastases in pT2 tumours, and regional recurrence pattern after organ preservation.

RESULTS

The rate of DMS > 1 cm was 1.9% (95% CI: 0.4-5.4%), maximum extent: 1.3 cm. The rate of DIS > 0.5 cm was 4.7% (95% CI: 1.3-11.5%), maximum extent: 0.8 cm. The rate of LLN metastases was 8.2% (95% CI: 6.7-9.9%) for tumours below or at peritoneal reflexion and 0% for higher tumours. Regional nodal recurrences alone were recorded in 1.0% (95% CI: 0.5-1.7%) of patients after watch-and-wait and in 2.1% (95% CI: 1.2-3.4%) after preoperative radiotherapy and local excision. Thus, the following rules for CTV delineation are proposed: caudal border 1.5 cm from the tumour to account for DMS or 1 cm to account for DIS, whichever is more caudal; cranial border at S2/S3 interspace; inclusion of LLN for tumours at or below peritoneal reflexion. A planning study was performed in eight patients to compare dose-volume parameters obtained using these rules to that obtained using current guidelines for advanced cancers. The proposed rules led to a mean 18% relative reduction of planning target volume, which resulted in better sparing of organs-at-risk.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggests a smaller CTV for cT2 tumours than the current guidelines designed for advanced cancers.

Application value of biplane transrectal ultrasonography plus ultrasonic elastosonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative T staging after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer

PURPOSE

To determine the accuracy of biplane transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) plus ultrasonic elastosonography (UE) and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in preoperative T staging after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-three patients with advanced lower rectal cancer were examined before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with use of TRUS plus UE and CEUS and were diagnosed as having T stage disease. We compared ultrasonic T stages before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and analyzed any changes. Also, with postoperative pathological stages as the gold standard, we compared ultrasonic and pathological T stages and determined their consistency by the kappa statistic.

RESULTS

For patients with rectal cancer, ultrasonic T stages were lower after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy than before, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The posttreatment downstaging rate was 39.6% (21/53). A total of 84.9% received correct staging with use of biplane TRUS plus UE and CEUS in the evaluation of preoperative T staging after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer, which was highly consistent with that of pathological staging (κ = 0.768, P < 0.05). Its sensitivities were 80.0%, 50.0%, 75.0%, 96.3%, and 100% in the diagnoses of stages T0 to T4 rectal cancers, respectively; the specificities were 95.4%, 97.9%, 95.1%, 88.5%, and 100% at stages T0 to T4, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Biplane TRUS plus UE and CEUS can be used to accurately perform preoperative T staging in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; in addition, this procedure well reflects changes in depth of rectal cancer invasion into the intestinal wall before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. It is of great value in clinically evaluating the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, in selecting therapeutic regimens, and in avoiding overtreatment.

Laparoscopic Total Mesorectal Excision Following Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery for Rectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients' selection for transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) depends on diagnostic modalities; however, there are still some limitations in the preoperative diagnosis of rectal lesions, and in some reports, up to third of the adenomas resected by TEM were found to be adenocarcinoma; therefore, salvage radical resection (RR) remains necessary for achieving oncological resection. Salvage RR may encounter some technical problems as the violation of the mesorectum and the scar formation. In this study, we aimed to report the outcome in patients undergoing salvage RR in terms of morbidity and oncological results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Demographic and clinical data pertaining to patients undergoing RR following TEM between 2004 and 2014 were retrospectively collected.

RESULTS

One hundred forty one TEM were performed in the study period, 53 (38%) for malignant rectal lesions. Indication for TEM: 15 (28%) benign adenoma, 25 (47%) early rectal cancer, and 13 (25%) had clinical complete response after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. Ten (19%) patients had no residual tumor in TEM specimen, 15 (28%) had T1, and 2 of them underwent salvage low anterior resection (LAR). Ten (19%) had T2, 4 had LAR, and 1 had abdominoperineal resection (APR). Five (9%) had a T3, 3 underwent LAR, and 2 had APR. Among the 13 (25%) after chemo-radiotherapy (CRT), 4 had salvage AR. The time from TEM to RR was 47 days (range32-70). Of 16 salvage surgeries, 8 (50%) were laparoscopic. The median operative time was 210 minutes (range165-360). Five patients had protective ileostomy. Rectal perforation occurred in 2 (12%) patients; both had a posterior location, one after CRT. Two (12%) postoperative small-bowl obstruction and three wound infections occurred. There was no perioperative mortality in any of the patients who underwent RR. The final pathology was no residual disease in 9, T3N1 in 1, T3N0 in 3, T2N1 in 1, and T2N0 in 2 patients. Eight (50%) had adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision following TEM seems to be safe, and with no negative impact of the completeness of the resection. The concern of intraoperative specimen perforation is real, and should be dealt with meticulous technique and careful dissection, particularly after CRT.

Total Mesorectal Excision Versus Local Excision After Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer With Lymph Node Metastasis: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

PURPOSE

To determine whether local excision (LE) outcomes were comparable to total mesorectal excision (TME) outcomes in node-positive (cN+) rectal cancer patients who were good responders.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

This retrospective study included clinical T2-3 and cN+ low rectal cancer patient who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) followed by TME or LE. Clinical stage T1 or T4 tumors, upper-to-middle rectal tumors (>7 cm from anal verge), and synchronous distant metastases were excluded. Lymph nodes ≥5 mm in size were defined as tumor-positive, and patients with metastatic lymph nodes >20 mm in size were excluded. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy comprised radiation (50-50.4 Gy/25-28 fractions over 5 weeks) with 2 cycles of 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine. Propensity scores were computed from tumor and patient variables and used for 1-to-1 matched analysis. Local recurrence-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival were compared between the 2 matched groups.

RESULTS

Between January 2007 and December 2013, 563 and 55 patients underwent TME and LE, respectively. The median follow-up period was 54 months. In propensity score-matched analysis, 48 patients were included in each group. No statistical differences were observed in 3-year local recurrence-free survival (97.9% vs 97.9%, P = .994), 3-year disease-free survival (91.5% vs 91.4%, P = .968), or 3-year OS (93.7% vs 97.9%, P = .809) between the TME and LE groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In clinical N+ rectal cancer patients, oncologic outcomes of PCRT followed by LE were comparable to those of TME; this finding might be applicable only to those patients with good response in the primary tumor and small lymph node metastases.

Local Excision Techniques for Rectal Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: What Are We Doing?

BACKGROUND

Recent evidence shows that the majority of rectal cancers demonstrate occult tumor scatter after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy that can extend for several centimeters under adjacent normal-appearing mucosa beside the residual mucosal abnormality or scar.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to determine all of the published selection criteria and technical descriptions for local excision to date with regard to this phenomenon.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase were searched using the following key words: rectal cancer, local excision, radiotherapy, and neoadjuvant.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies that assessed local excision of rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were included. Duplicate series were excluded from final analysis.

INTERVENTION

All of the data points were tabulated and analyzed using Microsoft Excel.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Criteria for patient selection, surgical technique, clinical restaging, pathologic assessment, and indications for completion surgery were analyzed.

RESULTS

After exclusions, data from 25 studies that in total evaluated local excision in 1001 patients were included. Compared with the single accepted technique of total mesorectal excision, described techniques for local excision after neoadjuvant therapy demonstrate significant variability in many critical technical issues, such as marking/tattooing original tumor margins before neoadjuvant therapy, using pretreatment tumor size/stage as exclusion criteria, and specifically stating lateral excision margins. Where detailed, the majority of local recurrences occurred in patients with clear pathological margins, yet significant variation existed for pathological assessment and reporting, with few studies detailing R status and some not reporting margin status at all. Significant variability also existed for adverse tumor features that mandated completion surgery, and, importantly, many series describe patients refusing completion surgery where indicated.

LIMITATIONS

We were unable to perform meta-analysis because studies lacked sufficient methodologic homogeneity to synthesize.

CONCLUSIONS

The observations from this study prompt additional study, standardization of technique, and cautious use of local excision of rectal cancer in the setting of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

High nodal positivity rates even in good clinical responders after chemoradiation of rectal cancer: is organ preservation feasible?

AIM

Local excision (LE) is emerging as a treatment option for rectal cancer responding well to chemoradiation. However, it does not address the mesorectal nodal burden. We aimed to identify the factors influencing nodal positivity and subsequently defined a low-risk group by including only patients at low risk.

METHOD

A single-centre, retrospective database analysis was carried out of patients with radically resected rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

RESULTS

This study included 524 patients with predominantly low rectal tumours. Nodal positivity among ypT0, T1 and T2 groups was 14.7%, 28% and 30%, respectively. Multivariate analysis with stepwise logistic regression identified the following low-risk features: age ≥ 40 years, nonsignet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) histology and pathological complete response (pCR). Sixty-nine patients fulfilling all three criteria were analysed and the nodal positivity was found to be 10.1%, which implies that, if these patients had been selected for LE, one in 10 would have had positive mesorectal nodes.

CONCLUSION

Even in patients with low-risk criteria (pCR, non-SRCC histology and age ≥ 40 years), the residual positive nodal disease burden is 10%. Whether this high incidence of residual nodal disease translates into a similar risk of locoregional recurrence if an organ-preservation strategy is adopted is unclear.

A Systematic Review of Local Excision After Neoadjuvant Therapy for Rectal Cancer: Are ypT0 Tumors the Limit?

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant therapy reduces local recurrence after radical surgery for rectal cancer with complete pathological response in 15% to 25% of patients. Radical surgery is associated with significant morbidity that may be avoided by local excision in selected cases.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to determine the oncological outcomes and morbidity of local excision after neoadjuvant therapy.

DATA SOURCES

Data sources included MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases.

STUDY SELECTION

A systematic search of the databases using validated terms for rectal cancer, neoadjuvant therapy, and local excision was conducted.

INTERVENTIONS

Neoadjuvant therapy and local excision were the included interventions.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Pooled local recurrence, median survival, and pooled morbidity were measured.

RESULTS

Twenty unique studies were included (14 cohort, 5 comparative cohort, and 1 randomized controlled trial), describing 1068 patients. Patient choice, prohibitive comorbidity, good clinical response, and early stage disease were the most frequent indications for local excision. Pretreatment T2 and T3 tumors accounted for 46.4% and 30.7% of cases. Long-course treatment was administered in all of the studies, except to a cohort of 64 patients who received short-course radiotherapy. Pooled complete clinical response was 45.8% (95% CI, 31.4%-60.5%), and pooled complete pathological response was 44.2% (95% CI, 36.4%-52.0%). Median follow-up was 54 months (range, 12-81 months). ypT0 tumors had a pooled local recurrence rate of 4.0% (95% CI, 1.9%-6.9%) and a median disease-free survival rate of 95.0% (95% CI, 87.4%-100%). Pooled local recurrence and median disease-free survival rates for ypT1 tumors or higher were 21.9% (95% CI, 15.9%-28.5%) and 68.0% (58.3%-69.0%). Pooled incidence of complications was 23.2% (95% CI, 15.7%-31.7%), with suture-line dehiscence reported in 9.9% (95% CI, 4.8%-16.7%).

LIMITATIONS

Limitations included study quality, high risk of selection bias and detection bias in study designs, and limited sample sizes.

CONCLUSIONS

Local excision after neoadjuvant therapy should only be considered a curative treatment if complete pathological response is obtained. Given the high rate of local recurrence among incomplete responders, future studies should focus on predicting patients who will achieve complete pathological response.

Utility of rectoscopy in the assessment of response to neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The management of locally advanced rectal cancer has changed substantially over the last few decades with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The aim of the present study is to compare the results between neoadjuvant post-treatment rectoscopy and the anatomopathological findings of the surgical specimen.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a prospective study of 67 patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the rectum (stages II and III). Two groups were established: One with complete clinical response (cCR) and one without (non-cCR), based on the findings at rectoscopy. Assessment of tumor regression grade in the surgical specimen was determined using Mandard's tumor regression scale.

RESULTS

Seventeen patients showed a cCR. Thirty-five biopsies were negative and 32 were positive for malignancy. All the cCR patients had a negative biopsy (P < 0.0001). All 32 positive biopsies revealed the presence of adenocarcinoma, and of the 35 negative biopsies, 18 had no malignancy and 17 were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma (P < 0.0001). Sixteen of the 17 cCR patients showed a complete pathological response and one patient showed the presence of adenocarcinoma. Of the 50 non-cCR patients 48 revealed the presence of adenocarcinoma and two had absence of malignancy. According to the Mandard classification, 16 of the 17 cCR patients were grade I and 1 grade II; 2 non-cCR patients were grade I, 7 grade II, 13 grade III, 19 grade IV, and 9 grade V.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic and histological findings could be determinants in the assessment of response to neoadjuvant treatment.

Endoscopic Criteria for Evaluating Tumor Stage after Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Purpose

Local excision may be an another option for selected patients with markedly down-staged rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT), and proper evaluation of post-CRT tumor stage (ypT) is essential prior to local excision of these tumors. This study was designed to determine the correlations between endoscopic findings and ypT of rectal cancer.

Materials and Methods

In this study, 481 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent preoperative CRT followed by surgical resection between 2004 and 2013 at a single institution were evaluated retrospectively. Pathological good response (p-GR) was defined as ypT ≤ 1, and pathological minimal or no response (p-MR) as ypT ≥ 2. The patients were randomly classified according to two groups, a testing (n=193) and a validation (n=288) group. Endoscopic criteria were determined from endoscopic findings and ypT in the testing group and used in classifying patients in the validation group as achieving or not achieving p-GR.

Results

Based on findings in the testing group, the endoscopic criteria for p-GR included scarring, telangiectasia, and erythema, whereas criteria for p-MR included nodules, ulcers, strictures, and remnant tumors. In the validation group, the kappa statistic was 0.965 (p < 0.001), and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 0.362, 0.963, 0.654, and 0.885, respectively.

Conclusion

The endoscopic criteria presented are easily applicable for evaluation of ypT after preoperative CRT for rectal cancer. These criteria may be used for selection of patients for local excision of down-staged rectal tumors, because patients with p-MR could be easily ruled out.

Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Radical rectal resection following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer is accompanied by relatively high morbidity. Local excision of rectal cancer may be more appropriate for some frail patients with severe comorbidities. Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), consisting of local excision of selected rectal cancers, has been associated with low rates of postoperative complications. Because neoadjuvant CRT for rectal cancer may be associated with increased complications, the suitability of TEM following CRT is still unclear. In this study we aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing TEM following neoadjuvant CRT.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed all patients undergoing TEM for malignant rectal tumor in our institution between 2004 and 2010. They were divided into those who received CRT (CRT group) and those without CRT (non-CRT group). Demographics and clinical data were compared.

RESULTS

Forty-four of 97 patients who underwent TEM were included: 13 CRT and 31 non-CRT. Age, comorbidities, and the duration of the procedure were similar for both groups. There were no significant group differences in tumor diameter (2.1 cm [range, 0.5-3.5 cm] and 2.9 cm [range, 0.5-4.2 cm], respectively; P=.125) or distance of the lower part of the tumor from the anal verge (6.7 cm [range, 5-10 cm] and 7.7 cm [range, 5-15 cm], respectively; P=.285). Two non-CRT patients had peritoneal entry, and 1 of them underwent protective ileostomy because of insecure rectal defect closure. One non-CRT patient underwent a re-operation for postoperative bleeding. The other perioperative complications were minor and included urinary retention requiring catheter placement (2 patients in each group), pulmonary edema (1 non-CRT patient), and pneumonia (1 non-CRT patient). All complications were managed conservatively. There was no wound disruption, major complication, or mortality in either group.

CONCLUSIONS

With proper patient selection, TEM can be performed safely following CRT, without major complication or increased postoperative morbidity.

Regional lymph node status after neoadjuvant chemoradiation of rectal cancer producing a complete or near complete rectal wall response

AIM

Transanal excision of the tumour site after complete response to chemoradiotherapy can determine the rectal wall response to treatment. This study was designed to assess whether the absence of tumour in the rectal wall corresponds to the absence of tumour in the mesorectum (true pathological complete response).

METHOD

A retrospective review identified patients who underwent preoperative chemoradiation therapy for advanced mid and low rectal cancer followed by routine pre-planned radical surgery with total mesorectal excision. Patients in whom the pathology specimen showed no residual tumour in the rectal wall (ypT0) or a ypT1 lesion were assessed for tumour involvement in the mesorectum.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight patients who underwent pelvic chemoradiation followed by radical surgery were reviewed. The rectal wall tumour disappeared in eight (ypT0). Of these, residual tumour was found in the mesorectum (ypT0N1) in one (12%) patient. Eleven patients were found to have ypT1 residual tumour. Of these, two (18%) had a final post-surgical staging of ypT1N1.

CONCLUSION

Complete rectal wall tumour eradication was achieved in 10% of the patients, and downstaging to ypT1 was achieved in 14%. In 15% (12% in ypT0 and 18% in ypT1) of these patients, residual tumour cells were evident in the mesorectum. This would probably have rendered these patients with residual disease had a nonradical approach of transanal excision of the original tumour site been employed. Caution should be taken when considering the avoidance of radical surgery.

Chemotherapy Alone for Patients With Stage II/III Rectal Cancer Undergoing Radical Surgery

PURPOSE

The purpose of this prospective pilot study was to determine the efficacy of preoperative chemotherapy with six cycles of FOLFOX 6 (without radiation therapy) followed by radical surgery followed by six additional cycles of FOLFOX 6 for patients with stage II/III rectal cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 2010 to January 2014, patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled in this study. Patients received FOLFOX 6 chemotherapy comprising oxaliplatin and leucovorin calcium i.v. over 2 hours on day 1, then bolus, and then continuous fluorouracil i.v. over 46 hours on days 1 and 2. Treatment was repeated every 14 days for 6 courses followed by radical surgery followed by additional 6 cycles of FOLFOX 6.

RESULTS

In total, 45 patients were enrolled in this study. In the preoperative re-evaluation, the overall response rate was 68.8% (clinical complete response was 4.4%, and the partial response was 64.4%). There were 14 cases (31.2%) of stable disease. No patients had progressive disease. Postoperatively, the pathologic complete response rate was 8 of 45 (17.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.9%-28.9%). The median follow-up was 29 months (range 9-54 months). The actuarial 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates for all patients were 80.8% (standard error, 1.877; 95% CI: 69.3%-92.3%) and 67.9% (standard error, 2.319; 95% CI: 54.3%-81.5%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (FOLFOX) without radiotherapy is active and safe but cannot be considered a standard of care until the results of prospective randomized phase III trials are available.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy of rectal cancer represents the current standard of care. However, its use is also associated with short-term toxicity and long-term morbidity. With the increasing use of total mesorectal resection resulting in better local control and advances in systemic therapy for colorectal cancer, this study highlights the question of whether radiation is a necessary component of neoadjuvant therapy for all patients with rectal cancer or whether select patients could be spared the additional toxicities and inconvenience of radiotherapy. This study suggests that neoadjuvant FOLFOX without radiotherapy is active and safe, but it could not be considered a standard of care till now.

[Is it radical enough? Transanal endoscopic microsurgery for the treatment of rectal neoplasia -- clinicopathological viewpoint]

The transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) provides lower relapse and complication rate for the the surgical treatment of the neoplasms of the middle and lower third of the rectum in selected cases. Hence, it can be an alternative method of the conventional approaches, if it does not compromise oncological radicality. The TEM procedure has been started at the 1st Department of Surgery, Semmelweis University in the fall of 2013. In this short study we have evaluated the clinicopathological characteristics of patients undergoing TEM between September 2013 and September 2014. Fourty-four patients were included in our retrospective analysis. 12 patients had low grade adenoma, 14 patients had high grade adenoma, 17 patients had invasive adenocarcinoma, while one was operated for a neuroendocrine tumor. There was no difference in the size of neoplasms between the low and high grade adenomas or adenocarcinomas (p = 0.210), tumors below the size of 30 mm or over 30 mm displayed no significant difference either (p = 0.424). The surgical margins were free of tumor in 41 cases (95.3%). In 13 out of 44 cases the preoperative histology proposed a lower grade neoplasm than the final report (p < 0.001). These results demonstrate that the surgical treatment of large adenomas with TEM technique, which involves excision of the whole bowel wall, is more appropriate than the fractionated removal or polypectomy supplemented by mucosectomy. The pT2 stage tumours might be subjected to the TEM method in selected cases (e.g. following neoadjuvant treatment or palliative care), but this has to be confirmed with prospecively evaluated large series clinical studies which are currently ongoing.

Long-term outcome of local excision after preoperative chemoradiation for ypT0 rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Local excision, as an alternative to radical resection for patients with pathological complete response (ypT0) after preoperative chemoradiation, is under investigation.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome of a selected group of patients with ypT0 rectal cancer who underwent local excision with transanal endoscopic microsurgery as a definitive treatment.

PATIENTS

Between 1993 and 2013, 43 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma underwent complete full-thickness local excision with a transanal endoscopic microsurgery procedure after a regimen of chemoradiation. In all patients, rectal wall penetration was preoperatively assessed by endorectal ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance. Chemoradiation and transanal endoscopic microsurgery were indicated in patients refusing radical procedures or patients unfit for major abdominal procedures.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patient characteristics, operative record, pathology report, and tumor recurrence were analyzed at a median follow-up of 81 months. The potential prognostic factors for recurrence, screened in univariate analysis, were analyzed by multivariate analysis by using the Cox regression model.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients (30.2%), without residual tumor in the surgical specimen (ypT0), were treated with transanal endoscopic microsurgery only. In this ypT0 group, 2 patients (15.4%) had postoperative complications: 1 bleeding and 1 suture dehiscence. Postoperative mortality was nil. No local and distal recurrences were observed, and no tumor-related mortality occurred. In 30 patients (69.8%), partial tumor chemoradiation response or the absence of tumor chemoradiation response was observed. In this group, recurrence occurred in 17 patients (56.7%).

LIMITATIONS

The study was limited by its retrospective nature, different protocols of chemoradiation and preoperative staging over time, and the small sample size.

CONCLUSIONS

Local excision with transanal endoscopic microsurgery can be considered a definitive therapeutic option in patients with rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiation, when no residual tumor is found in the specimen. In this selected group, local excision offers excellent results in terms of survival and recurrence rates. In the presence of residual tumor, transanal endoscopic microsurgery should be considered as a large excisional biopsy (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/DCR/A157).

Multidisciplinary treatment of rectal cancer in 2014: Where are we going?

In the present review we discuss the recent developments and future directions in the multimodal treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer, with respect to staging and re-staging modalities, to the current role of neoadjuvant chemo-radiation and to the conservative and more limited surgical approaches based on tumour response after neoadjuvant combined therapy. When initial tumor staging is considered a high accuracy has been reported for T pre-treatment staging, while preoperative lymph node mapping is still suboptimal. With respect to tumour re-staging, all the current available modalities still present a limited accuracy, in particular in defining a complete response. The role of short vs long-course radiotherapy regimens as well as the optimal time of surgery are still unclear and under investigation by means of ongoing randomized trials. Observational management or local excision following tumour complete response are promising alternatives to total mesorectal excision, but need further evaluation, and their use outside of a clinical trial is not recommended. The preoperative selection of patients who will benefit from neoadjuvant radiotherapy or not, as well as the proper identification of a clinical complete tumour response after combined treatment modalities,will influence the future directions in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer.

Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) for Rectal Cancer: University Hospital of North Tees Experience

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is a minimally invasive technique that is increasingly being used to treat early rectal cancer (T1/T2). We studied the outcomes of TEM for rectal cancer at our institution looking at the indication, recurrence rate, need for further radical surgery, 30-day and 12-month mortality and complication rate. We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of cases between 2008 and 2012: 110 TEM procedures were performed during this period: 40 were confirmed rectal cancers and 70 were benign. We analysed the data for the 40 patients with confirmed rectal cancer. Thirty (75 %) of the subjects were male with a mean age of 71 ± 10 years (range 49-90 years) and 19 (48 %) patients were ASA 3 and 4. Nineteen (48 %) of cancers were pT1, eighteen (45 %) were pT2, two (5 %) were pT3 and one was yPT0. Mean specimen size was 66 ± 20 mm (range 33-120 mm) with a mean polyp size of 41 ± 24 mm (range 18-110 mm). The mean cancer size was 24 ± 13 mm (range 2-50 mm). Average distance from the anal verge was 70 ± 37 mm (range 10-150 mm), and the mean operating time was 72 ± 22 min (range 40-120 min), with an average blood loss of 28 ± 15 ml (range 10-50ml). Median hospital stay was 2 ± 1 days (range 1-7 days). Complete excision (R0) was achieved in 37 (93 %) patients. Minor post-operative complications included urinary retention in two and pyrexia in three patients. There were no 30-day or 12-month mortalities. Mean follow-up was 13 ± 11 months, range (3-40 months) Local recurrence occurred in two (5 %) patients, both underwent redo TEM. Twelve (30 %) patients underwent laparoscopic radical resections (seven AR and five APER) post-TEM. Post-operative histology confirmed pT0N0 in 7/12 patients. Three were lymph node-positive (T0N1), one was pT3N1 and the fifth was pT3N2. TEM is associated with quicker recovery, shorter hospital stay and fewer complications than radical surgery. It is a good alternative to radical surgery in early rectal cancer, especially for high-risk patients. Recurrent tumours can be treated with redo TEM.

[TEO: minimally invasive surgery of the rectum. A short review]

The equipment and technique of transanal endoscopic microsurgery was developed by Buess in the early 80s. The technique was more refined, and the indication was widened since then. Excellent oncological results can be achieved with good patient selection with this less invasive technique and the complication rate is very low in contrast to conventional techniques. Nowadays the transanal endoscopic microsurgery is the "gold standard" in the treatment of benign lesions and low risk T1 cancer of the rectum.

Neoadjuvant therapy followed by local excision and two-stage total mesorectal excision: a new strategy for sphincter preservation in locally advanced ultra-low rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

With the increased usage of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, improved surgical technique and stapling devices, sphincter-preserving resection has become more frequent for patients with rectal cancer. However, as for locally advanced ultra-low rectal cancer, sphincter-preservation is still facing an enormous challenge.

OBJECTIVE

To introduce an NLT strategy of sphincter-preservation-neoadjuvant therapy (NT) followed by local excision (LE) and two-stage total mesorectal excision (TME)-into the treatment of locally advanced ultra-low rectal cancer (lesions with anal sphincter invasion).

METHODS

From October 2010 to October 2011, nine patients with locally advanced rectal cancer located less than 3 cm from the anal verge were treated by the NLT strategy. All patients had shown good clinical response to NT. The LE procedure was carried transanally 6-8 weeks after completion of the NT. TME was performed to dissect mesorectal lymph nodes 4-6 weeks after LE.

RESULTS

Of the nine patients, the lesion was assessed as T2 in two, T3 in five, and T4 in two before NT, and lymph node metastasis was detected in five patients. The median distance from the tumor to the anal verge was 2.5 cm (range: 1-3 cm). The median follow-up was 27 months (range: 24-34 months). No distant metastasis was detected. Only one patient (11.1%) developed local recurrence at 12 months post-operatively and then underwent abdomino-perineal resection. The remaining eight patients had preserved long-term continence and the median Wexner score at two years post-operation was 4 (range: 2-6).

CONCLUSION

The new NLT strategy can achieve sphincter-preservation in some patients with ultra-low rectal cancer, with favorable oncological outcome and preservation of normal anal sphincter function.

Future directions for monitoring treatment response in colorectal cancer

Treatment of advanced colon and rectal cancer has significantly evolved with the introduction of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy so much that, along with more effective chemotherapy regimens, surgery has been considered unnecessary among some institutions for select patients. The tumor response to these treatments has also improved and ultimately has been shown to have a direct effect on prognosis. Yet, the best way to monitor that response, whether clinically, radiologically, or with laboratory findings, remains controversial. The authors' aim is to briefly review the options available and, more importantly, examine emerging and future options to assist in monitoring treatment response in cases of locally advanced rectal cancer and metastatic colon cancer.

Sphincter-sparing surgery in patients with low-lying rectal cancer: techniques, oncologic outcomes, and functional results

BACKGROUND

Rectal cancer management has evolved into a complex multimodality approach with survival, local recurrence, and quality of life parameters being the relevant endpoints. Surgical treatment for low rectal cancer has changed dramatically over the past 100 years.

DISCUSSION

Abdominoperineal resection, once the standard of care for all rectal cancers, has become much less frequently utilized as surgeons devise and test new techniques for preserving the sphincters, maintaining continuity, and performing oncologically sound ultra-low anterior or local resections. Progress in rectal cancer surgery has been driven by improved understanding of the anatomy and pathophysiology of the disease, innovative surgical technique, improved technology, multimodality approaches, and increased appreciation of the patient's quality of life. The patient with a low rectal cancer, once almost universally destined for impotence and a colostomy, now has the real potential for improved survival, avoidance of a permanent stoma, and preservation of the normal route of defecation.

How reliable is current imaging in restaging rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy?

In patients with advanced rectal cancer, neoadjuvant chemo radiotherapy provides tumor downstaging and downsizing and complete pathological response in up to 30% of cases. After proctectomy complete pathological response is associated with low rates of local recurrence and excellent long term survival. Several authors claim a less invasive surgery or a non operative policy in patients with partial or clinical complete response respectively, however to identify patients with true complete pathological response before surgical resection remains a challenge. Current imaging techniques have been reported to be highly accurate in the primary staging of rectal cancer, however neoadjuvant therapy course produces deep modifications on cancer tissue and on surrounding structures such as overgrowth fibrosis, deep stroma alteration, wall thickness, muscle disarrangement, tumor necrosis, calcification, and inflammatory infiltration. As a result, the same imaging techniques, when used for restaging, are far less accurate. Local tumor extent may be overestimated or underestimated. The diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination, rectal ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography using 18F-fluoro-2’-deoxy-D-glucose ranges between 25% and 75% being less than 60% in most studies, both for rectal wall invasion and for lymph nodes involvement. In particular the ability to predict complete pathological response, in order to tailor the surgical approach, remains low. Due to the radio-induced tissue modifications, combined with imaging technical aspects, low rate accuracy is achieved, making modern imaging techniques still unreliable in restaging rectal cancer after chemo-radiotherapy.