Rate Of Sphincter-preserving Surgery Research Articles

Influence of neoadjuvant treatment strategy on perioperative outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer facilitates tumour downstaging and complete pathological response (pCR). The goal of neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (total neoadjuvant chemotherapy, TNT) is to further improve local and systemic control. While some patients forgo surgery, total mesorectal excision (TME) remains the standard of care. While TNT appears to be noninferior to nCRT with respect to short-term oncological outcomes few data exist on perioperative outcomes. Perioperative morbidity including anastomotic leaks is associated with a negative effect on oncological outcomes, probably due to a delay in proceeding to adjuvant therapy. Thus, we aimed to compare conversion rates, rates of sphincter-preserving surgery and anastomosis formation rates in patients undergoing rectal resection after either TNT or standard nCRT. An institutional colorectal oncology database was searched from January 2018 to July 2023. Inclusion criteria comprised patients with histologically confirmed rectal cancer who had undergone neoadjuvant therapy and TME. Exclusion criteria comprised patients with a noncolorectal primary, those operated on emergently or who had local excision only. Outcomes evaluated included rates of conversion to open, sphincter-preserving surgery, anastomosis formation and anastomotic leak. A total of 119 patients were eligible for inclusion (60 with standard nCRT, 59 with TNT). There were no differences in rates of sphincter preservation or primary anastomosis formation between the groups. However, a significant increase in conversion to open (p = 0.03) and anastomotic leak (p = 0.03) was observed in the TNT cohort. In this series TNT appears to be associated with higher rates of conversion to open surgery and higher anastomotic leak rates. While larger studies will be required to confirm these findings, these factors should be considered alongside oncological benefits when selecting treatment strategies.

MRI-defined T3, clear mesorectal fascia mid-low rectal cancer: is neoadjuvant treatment necessary?

Neoadjuvant treatments (nCRT) are becoming the standard treatment for patients with stage II or III mid-low rectal cancer. Recently, some studies have shown that surgery alone may be sufficient for patients with T3 rectal cancer. This raises the question of whether nCRT is necessary for all patients with T3 rectal cancer. Therefore, this study compared the clinical outcomes of patients with MRI-defined T3, clear MRF mid-low rectal cancer treated with surgery alone (TME group) or nCRT followed by surgery (nCRT+TME group). A total of 1509 patients were enrolled in this study. After a 1:1 propensity score matching analysis, 480 patients were included in each group. The primary endpoint was 3-year disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary endpoints included the perioperative outcomes, histopathologic outcomes, and other follow-up outcomes. nCRT had advantages in rates of sphincter-preserving surgery and tumor downstaging, but it was accompanied by a higher rate of enterostomies. At 3years after surgery, local recurrence occurred in 3.3% of patients in the TME group and in 3.5% of patients in the nCRT+TME group (P=0.914), the DFS rates were 78.3% in the TME group and 75.3% in the nCRT+TME group (P=0.188), and the overall survival rates were 90.3% in the TME group and 89.9% in the nCRT+TME group (P=0.776). Surgery alone versus nCRT followed by surgery may provide similar long-term oncological outcomes for patients with MRI-defined T3, clear MRF, and mid-low rectal cancer. nCRT may cause overtreatment in some patients.

The effect of neoadjuvant treatment on postoperative morbidity in upper rectal cancer

Background. The need of neoadjuvant treatment for upper rectal cancer remains the object of discussion, which makes further study of this topic important.Аim. To estimate the postoperative complications rate depending on the type of neoajuvant treatment.Materials and methods. A retrospective cohort multicenter study, that analyzed data of medical records of patients with upper rectal cancer from the archive of N.N. Blokhin Cancer Research Center of the ministry of Health of Russia, Ryzhikh national medical Research Center of Coloproctology of the ministry of Health of Russia and Stavropol Regional Clinical Oncology Center for 2007–2020. Patients were devided into 3 groups: the group of radiotherapy (5*5 gy), the group of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (4 courses of XELOX before surgery) and the group of surgery. The main endpoint was the study of anastomotic leak rate. Also we estimated the postoperative complications rate III–Iv degree (Clavien– Dindo), the sphincter-preserving surgery rate, the stoma creation rate, the postoperative mortality.Results. we included 110 patients in radiotherapy group, 188 patients in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, 103 patients in surgery group. Study groups were comparable by sex, ASA status and histological grade. Postoperative grade III– Iv complications (in all cases were associated with anastomotic leak) developed in 8 (6.8 %) patients in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group versus 11 (10.0 %) patients in radiotherapy group (p = 0.379) and 12 (11.7 %) patients in surgery group (p = 0.208). There weren»t any significant differences in this parameter between the radiotherapy and the surgery group (p = 0.698). R0-resection was performed in 117 (99.2 %) patients in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group versus 107 (97.3 %) patients in radiotherapy group (p = 0.280) and 103 patients (100 %) in surgery group (p = 0.349). Radiotherapy and surgery groups didn’t differ significantly in R0-resection rate (p = 0.091). 1 patient (0.84 %) in neoadjuvant chemotherapy died before surgery, in other groups there weren’t any lethal outcomes (p = 0.283). Only the male sex, had a statistically significant effect on the anastomotic leak rate (risk ratio (HR) 2.875; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.24–6.63; p = 0.003).Conclusions. A study of these case histories of patients with cancer of the upper ampullary rectum, conducted by us, showed that neoadjuvant treatment didn»t affect the postoperative complications rate.

Can Pre-Treatment Inflammatory Parameters Predict the Probability of Sphincter-Preserving Surgery in Patients with Locally Advanced Low-Lying Rectal Cancer?

There is evidence suggesting that pre-treatment clinical parameters can predict the probability of sphincter-preserving surgery in rectal cancer; however, to date, data on the predictive role of inflammatory parameters on the sphincter-preservation rate are not available. The aim of the present cohort study was to investigate the association between inflammation-based parameters and the sphincter-preserving surgery rate in patients with low-lying locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). A total of 848 patients with LARC undergoing radiotherapy from 2004 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed in order to identify patients with rectal cancer localized ≤6 cm from the anal verge, treated with neo-adjuvant radiochemotherapy (nRCT) and subsequent surgery. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to investigate the role of pre-treatment inflammatory parameters, including the C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for the prediction of sphincter preservation. A total of 363 patients met the inclusion criteria; among them, 210 patients (57.9%) underwent sphincter-preserving surgery, and in 153 patients (42.1%), an abdominoperineal rectum resection was performed. Univariable analysis showed a significant association of the pre-treatment CRP value (OR = 2.548, 95% CI: 1.584–4.097, p < 0.001) with sphincter preservation, whereas the pre-treatment NLR (OR = 1.098, 95% CI: 0.976–1.235, p = 0.120) and PLR (OR = 1.002, 95% CI: 1.000–1.005, p = 0.062) were not significantly associated with the type of surgery. In multivariable analysis, the pre-treatment CRP value (OR = 2.544; 95% CI: 1.314–4.926; p = 0.006) was identified as an independent predictive factor for sphincter-preserving surgery. The findings of the present study suggest that the pre-treatment CRP value represents an independent parameter predicting the probability of sphincter-preserving surgery in patients with low-lying LARC.

Clinical parameters predictive for sphincter-preserving surgery and prognostic outcome in patients with locally advanced low rectal cancer

BackgroundAlthough controversial, there are data suggesting that clinical parameters can predict the probability of sphincter preserving procedures in rectal cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between clinical parameters and the sphincter-preserving surgery rate in patients who had undergone neoadjuvant combination therapy for advanced low rectal cancer.MethodsIn this single center study, the charts of 540 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who had been treated with induction chemotherapy-and/or neoadjuvant concomitant radiochemotherapy (nRCT) over an 11-year period were reviewed in order to identify patients with rectal cancer ≤6 cm from the anal verge, who had received the prescribed nRCT only. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify pretreatment patient- and tumor associated parameters correlating with sphincter preservation. Survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analyses.ResultsTwo hundred eighty of the 540 patients met the selection criteria. Of the 280 patients included in the study, 158 (56.4%) underwent sphincter-preserving surgery. One hundred sixty-four of 280 patients (58.6%) had a downsizing of the primary tumor (ypT < cT) and 39 (23.8%) of these showed a complete histopathological response (ypT0 ypN0). In univariate analysis, age prior to treatment, Karnofsky performance status, clinical T-size, relative lymphocyte value, CRP value, and interval between nRCT and surgery, were significantly associated with sphincter-preserving surgery. In multivariate analysis, age (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.05, CI95%: 1.02–1.09, p = 0.003), relative lymphocyte value (HR = 0.94, CI95%: 0.89–0.99, p = 0.029), and interval between nRCT and surgery (HR = 2.39, CI95%: 1.17–4.88, p = 0.016) remained as independent predictive parameters.ConclusionsThese clinical parameters can be considered in the prognostication of sphincter-preserving surgery in case of low rectal adenocarcinoma. More future research is required in this area.

Efficacy of preoperative neoadjuvant simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy combined with preoperative chemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: a phase II clinical study

Objective To investigate the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of preoperative capecitabine and simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) followed by one cycle of neoadjuvant capecitabine in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods From March 2015 to April 2016, a total of 37 patients with LARC were enrolled in this study. They received capecitabine (825 mg/m2 orally twice daily for 5 weeks, days 1-5 weekly) and SIB-IMRT (58.75 Gy in 25 fractions for rectal lesion and positive lymph nodes and 50.00 Gy in 25 fractions for pelvic lymphatic drainage area). After the concurrent chemoradiotherapy, they were allowed to rest for one week. And then they received one cycle of induction chemotherapy with capecitabine (1250 mg/m2 orally twice daily for 14 days). And total mesorectal excision (TME) was scheduled at 6-8 weeks after the concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR) rate, and the secondary endpoints included tumor and nodal (TN) downstaging rate, the rate of sphincter-preserving surgery, and adverse events. Results All the 37 patients successfully received the preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Only 32 patients underwent the surgical resection, 4 patients refused surgery due to symptom relief, and 1 patient delayed surgery due to perianal edema after radiotherapy. The pCR rate was 34%(11/32); the TN downstaging rate was 91%(29/32); the R0 resection rate was 100%; 24 patients (75%) underwent the sphincter-preserving surgery. During the period of chemoradiotherapy, most of the patients experienced grade 1/2 acute adverse events and grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 3 patients. The postoperative complications included ureteral injury (1 patient) and intestinal obstruction (1 patient), and no death occurred in the perioperative period. Conclusions For patients with LARC, preoperative SIB-IMRT combined with one cycle of capecitabine followed by TME is safe and feasible, and has good short-term efficacy and mild acute adverse events. Key words: Rectal neoplasms/intensity modulated radiotherapy; Intensity modulated radiotherapy, boost; Rectal neoplasms/chemotherapy; Capecitabine

588P - Safety and Efficacy of Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy (Crt) in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancers (Larc): a Retrospective Italian Survey of 389 Elderly Patients

ABSTRACT Aim: Although CRT is considered the worldwide standard of treatment in LARC, this strategy in elderly patients (pts 370 years) is not often feasible due to morbidity, performance status and compliance. Methods: We reviewed clinical and pathological features of a large series of elderly pts with T3-T4 N0/N+ rectal carcinoma (within 12 cm from anal verge). All patients received CRT with fluoropyrimidines +/- oxaliplatin concomitant to pelvic radiation (45-50.4 Gy). Surgery was scheduled within 6-8 weeks after the end of CRT. Aim was to evaluate safety and outcome results in a retrospective series of elderly pts with LARC. Results: 389 pts from 7 centers were collected. Demographic characteristics were as follows: M/F 251/138, median age 74 (range 70-89); clinical stage was T3 in 321 (82%) and T4 in 52 (13%); 207 pts (53%) showed suspicious nodes, while in 12 pts (3%) stage was unknown. Comorbidities were present in 214 out of 294 pts on which the information was known (73%). Cardiovascular diseases, primarily hypertension, affected 132 out of 294 pts while metabolic and neurological disorders was present in 57 and 17 cases respectively. Continuous infusion of 5-FU was given to 208 pts (53%), capecitabine in 86 (22%) while 89 pts (22%) had oxaliplatin-based combination. Any grade toxicities were reported in 307 patients (78%): diarrhoea (48%), skin toxicity (17%) and dysuria (21%) were the most frequently side effects. Surgery was performed in 349 pts (89%): low anterior resection in 247 cases, Miles resection in 75, Hartmann resection in 7, local excision in 19, missing in 1. Pathologic report showed a complete remission in 59 cases (17%), ypT1-T2: 145, ypT3: 119, ypT4: 9, while 81 pts had ypN1-2 tumor. Downstaging rate was 60% and sphincter preserving surgery rate was 77%. At the time of analysis, 76 pts (22%) relapsed locally or at a distant site. Conclusions: Even though potential bias of selection, this retrospective study suggest that CRT is feasible in elderly patients with mild toxicities with results similar to those reported in younger pts. However prospective trials focusing on the older population are lacking. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Multi-institutional assessment of sphincter preservation for rectal cancer.

Sphincter-preserving surgery (SPS) has been proposed as a quality measure for rectal cancer surgery. However, previous studies on SPS rates lack critical clinical characteristics, rendering it unclear if variation in SPS rates is due to unmeasured case-mix differences or surgeons' selection criteria. In this context, we investigate the variation in SPS rates at various practice settings. Ten hospitals in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative collected rectal cancer-specific data, including tumor location and reasons for non-SPS, of patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery from 2007 to 2012. Hospitals were divided into terciles of SPS rates (frequent, average, and infrequent). Patients were categorized as 'definitely SPS eligible' a priori if they did not have any of the following: sphincter involvement, tumor <6 cm from the anal verge, fecal incontinence, stoma preference, or metastatic disease. Fixed-effects logistic regression was used to evaluate for factors associated with SPS. In total, 329 patients underwent rectal cancer surgery at 10 hospitals (5/10 higher volume, and 6/10 major teaching). Overall, 72 % had SPS (range by hospital 47-91 %). Patient and tumor characteristics were similar between hospital terciles. On multivariable analysis, only hospital ID, younger age, and tumor location were associated with SPS, but not sex, race, body mass index, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, preoperative radiation, or American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class. Analysis of the 181 (55 %) 'definitely-eligible' patients revealed an SPS rate of 90 % (65-100 %). SPS rates vary by hospital, even after accounting for clinical characteristics using detailed chart review. These data suggest missed opportunities for SPS, and refute the general hypothesis that hospital variation in previous studies is due to unmeasured case-mix differences.

Multi-institutional assessment of sphincter preservation for rectal cancer.

566 Background: Rates of sphincter preserving surgery (SPS) have been proposed as a quality measure for rectal cancer (RC) surgery. However, administrative and registry-based SPS rates often lack critical patient and tumor characteristics, rendering it unclear if variations in SPS rates are due to unmeasured case-mix differences or selection criteria. The aim of this study was to determine whether hospitals’ SPS rates differ after accounting for clinical characteristics. Methods: As part of a RC quality project, 10 hospitals in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative retrospectively collected RC-specific data from 2007-2012. We assessed for SPS predictors using multivariable regression. Patients were categorized as “definitely SPS eligible” a priori if they did not have any of the following: poor sphincter control, stoma preference, sphincter involvement, tumor &lt;6 cm from the anal verge (an intentionally conservative cutoff) or metastatic disease. We compared hospital performance with and without these clinical data using Spearman’s correlations. Results: In total, 349 patients underwent surgery for RC in 10 hospitals (5/10 high volume and 6/10 major teaching). Of those, 74% had SPS (range by hospital 50%-91%). On multivariable analysis, only pre-op radiation, tumor location, hospital teaching status and hospital ID were independent predictors of SPS, but not age, sex, BMI, AJCC stage, ASA class, or hospital CRC surgery volume. Analyses of the “definitely eligible” patients revealed an overall SPS rate of 88% (65-100%). Hospital SPS rankings using crude versus clinically-adjusted SPS rates proved to be highly correlated (Spearman’s ρ= 0.9). Tumor locations suggest differing selection criteria for SPS in different hospitals (Table). Conclusions: Rates of SPS vary by hospital, even after correcting for clinical characteristics using detailed chart review. These data suggest missed opportunities for SPS, and refute the general hypothesis that hospital variation in SPS rates in previous studies is due to unmeasured case-mix differences. [Table: see text]

Laparoscopic Total Mesorectal Excision for Rectal Cancer after Neoadjuvant Treatment: Targeting Sphincter-Preserving Surgery

Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer is under scrutiny. This study aimed at analyzing feasibility, adequacy of resection, impact on early outcomes after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy, and to investigate trend towards indication of laparoscopy for sphincter-preservation in a single university medical center. Patients with distal rectal cancer submitted to neoadjuvant treatment followed by laparoscopic total mesorectal excision were prospectively enrolled. The studied parameters were: demographics, previous surgery, BMI, type of operation, rate of sphincter-preserving surgery, duration of surgery, conversion, specimen retrieval, lymphadenectomy, distal and radial margins, intra and postoperative morbidity, reoperations, hospital stay, and mortality. From January 2000 to July 2010, 68 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 60 (30-87) years. There were 27 anterior and 41 abdominoperineal resections. Six patients underwent a totally laparoscopic resection and coloanal anastomosis. There was a trend (p=0.003) towards more sphincter-preserving surgery. Conversion was 4.5%. Intraoperative complication was 7.4%. Postoperative complications occurred in 15%. Mortality was 3%. Lymph-node harvest was 11 (0-33). Mean distal margin was 2.5cm (1-4). Radial margins were positive in 3 (10%) cases. Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision after neoadjuvant treatment is feasible and safe. Sphincter-preserving laparoscopic oncologic rectal surgery has been accomplished more frequently.

Improved Patient and Regimen Selection in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: Who, How, and What Next?

Before the advent of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NCRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer, local failure represented half of treatment failures. The German Rectal Cancer Study Group trial demonstrated that NCRT along with total mesorectal excision can improve local control and the rate of sphincter-preserving surgery. Thus, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network now recommends NCRT as the standard of care for stage III and IV rectal cancer. Recent trials and analysis have questioned accepted wisdom regarding patient selection for NCRT and methods of administration. EORTC 22921 demonstrated that the addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy, regardless of timing, improved local control but not overall survival, and subgroup analysis from this study generated the hypothesis that the subgroup of patients with good pathologic response to NCRT would benefit the most from additional chemotherapy following surgery. The prognosis of rectal cancer is stage dependent, and 2 major analyses question whether T1/2 N1 and T3 N0 patients benefit from NCRT. Application of the results from these studies is hindered by imperfections in staging. Future improvement in patient selection might result from biologic analysis of tumor sensitivity. NCRT might be improved with the use of oral fluoropyrimidines and perhaps the addition of a second agent such as oxaliplatin, irinotecan, or cetuximab. Improvements in radiation, such as the use of more conformal techniques, might decrease the toxicity of therapy. Given the success of NCRT in improving local control, distant metastasis now predominates as the cause of treatment failure, and larger gains will likely be made from improvements in adjuvant chemotherapy.

Factors Associated With Sphincter-Preserving Surgery for Rectal Cancer at National Comprehensive Cancer Network Centers

To determine rate and predictors of sphincter-preserving surgery (SPS) for rectal cancer patients treated at specialty institutions. SPS has been considered a surrogate for surgical quality, and sphincter preservation is tremendously important to patients. Evidence of association between case volume and SPS rate has prompted recommendations that all rectal cancer patients undergo surgery at specialty institutions. However, rates of SPS, and the factors associated with ability to perform SPS, have not been well-characterized. A prospective registry of all colorectal cancer patients treated at 7 National Comprehensive Cancer Network institutions was used to identify patients with clinical stage I-III rectal cancer undergoing surgery (n = 674) between September 2005 and October 2007. Patient, tumor and treatment factors were abstracted; patients' clinical characteristics with and without SPS were compared using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Of 674 identified patients (median age, 58.2; 60% male), 520 (77%) had SPS. Of these, 240 had low anterior resection with coloanal anastomosis, 268 low anterior resection without coloanal anastomosis; 12 had other SPS procedures. Sixty-two percent had a temporary diverting stoma. On multivariable analyses, independent predictors of SPS included younger age at diagnosis, proximal location in the rectum, nonfixed tumor, and institution. SPS rates at National Comprehensive Cancer Network institutions exceed those seen in population-based samples and clinical trials. In addition to expected variation in SPS rates based on patient and tumor characteristics, we identified variation among institutions. Although the optimal rate of SPS remains unknown, this provides areas for further research and potential performance improvement.

Chemoradiation for localized rectal cancer: Neoadjuvant versus adjuvant approaches

For many years, adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy and radiation has been the standard of care in the United States for patients with T3, T4, or node-positive rectal cancer. Preoperative chemoradiation has generally been reserved for situations in which a response to therapy would allow for sphincter-preserving surgery. Recent data support the use of chemoradiation in the preoperative setting, demonstrating improvements in tumor downstaging, treatment toxicity, rate of sphincter-preserving surgery, and pelvic recurrence.

Sphincter Preservation After Short-term Preoperative Radiotherapy for Low Rectal Cancer - Presentation of Own Data and a Literature Review

This report is based on a series of 108 patients with clinically staged T2 (9), T3 (94) and T4 (5) rectal cancer treated with preoperative irradiation with 25 Gy, 5 Gy per fraction given for one week. In 77% of patients, the tumour was located within 7 cm of the anal verge and in 15% the anal canal was involved. Surgery was usually undertaken during the week after irradiation. For low tumours, total mesorectal excision was performed, and for middle and upper cancers, the whole circumference of the mesorectum was excised at least 2 cm below the lower pole of a tumour. Tumour was resected in 103 patients, and sphincter-preserving surgery was performed in 73% of them. In the subgroup where the tumour was located higher than 4 cm from the anal verge, sphincter-preserving surgery was performed in 95%. The follow-up period ranged from 10 to 49 months, with a median of 25 months. Local recurrences were observed in 4% of patients. Anorectal dysfunction caused impairment of social life in 40% of patients and 18% admitted that their quality of life was seriously affected?however, none of them stated that they would have preferred a colostomy. These preliminary data suggest that following high dose per fraction short-term preoperative radiotherapy a high rate of sphincter-preserving surgery can be reached, with acceptable anorectal function and an acceptable rate of local failure and late complications. The results of our own data and literature review indicate the need for a randomized clinical trial comparing high dose per fraction preoperative radiotherapy with immediate surgery with conventional preoperative radiochemotherapy with delayed surgery.