Clinical efficacy of radical rectal cancer surgery combined with irradiation in treatment of rectal cancer and its effect on angiogenesis and survival rate

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of radical surgery combined with irradiation in the treatment of rectal cancer and its effect on the angiogenesis and survival rate. Methods A total of 200 colorectal cancer patients admitted to Zhengzhou Central Hospital from March, 2014 to March, 2015 were recruited and divided into the observation group (n=105) and control group (n=95) by using random number table method. In the control group, radical surgery was performed, and radical surgery combined with irradiation was conducted in the observation group. The clinical efficacy, the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) were statistically compared between the control and observation groups. The changes of the microvascular morphology and microvessel density (MVD) in the rectal cancer tissues were observed and recorded. The 3-year survival rate was calculated during postoperative follow-up. Results After corresponding treatment, the clinical overall response rate was 86.67% in the observation group, and 70.53% in the control group (P>0.05). The 2-year survival rate did not significantly differ between two groups (P>0.05). The 3-year survival rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of VEGF-C and PGE2 were significantly improved in two groups (both P<0.05). In the observation group, the serum levels of VEGF-C and PGE2 were significantly lower compared with those in the control group (both P<0.05). The microvessel morphology in the cancer tissues remarkably differed between two groups. The microvessel diameter did not significantly differ, whereas the lumen diameter in the observation group was significantly smaller than that in the control group. The MVD in the observation group was 12.25±3.35, significantly lower than 28.14±17.26 in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Radical surgery combined with irradiation is an efficacious treatment of rectal cancer, which can effectively improve the serum levels of VEGF-C and PGE2, decrease the MVD, reduce the lumen diameter in the cancer tissues, lower the angiogenesis in rectal cancer and enhance the survival rate, which deserves widespread application in clinical practice. Key words: Rectal neoplasms/surgery; Rectal neoplasms/radiotherapy; Treatment outcome; Angiogenesis