Effects of adjuvant oxaliplatin on anal function in locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and low anterior resection.

Abstract

718 Background: The main purpose of the present study was to determine if the addition of adjuvant oxaliplatin (OXA) could have some influence on sphincter function in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with preoperative capecitabine/radiotherapy followed by lower anterior resection (LAR). Methods: Those patients with LARC treated at our center with LAR and without two-years loco-regional relapse were retrospectively analyzed independent of the type of adjuvant treatment received. Anal sphincter function was assessed by Wexner´s incontinence score (0 to 20 points, being punctuation inversely proportional to sphincter function). All questionnaires were completed between January 2010 and December 2012. Comparisons of sphincter function measured with the Wexner test between patients with and without OX were conducted with the Mann-Whitney test. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 20. Results: From 2006, 92 consecutive patients were included in our study. Mean time from LAR to fecal function assessment was 58 months (25 to 96 months). Wexner test median values did not differ significantly (p=0.450) between patients with and without adjuvant OXA. The median (IQR) for the group without adjuvant OXA was 6.0 (1.0-11.25), being for group that received adjuvant OXA of 5.0 (1.0-10.0). Conclusions: Based on our findings, OXA could be used as adjuvant treatment in LARC, due to its absent of deleterious influence over the sphincter anal function. Because of the retrospective nature of our study, prospective studies should be warranted in similar scenarios. This study has been supported by a grant of “Mutua Madrileña Fundation.”