OBJECTIVES: Addition of chemotherapy in the resting period between radiotherapy completion and response assessment during neoadjuvant treatment for @entity5 could potentially increase rates of complete @entity5 regression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate @entity137 rates and the impact of an extended neoadjuvant chemoradiation regimen on complete response rates. METHODS: Thirty-four consecutive @entity1 with nonmetastatic @entity5 were prospectively included. @entity1 were managed by 5,400 Gy of radiation and @entity1487 / @entity4181 -based chemotherapy given for three consecutive days every 21 days for six cycles (three cycles concomitant with radiotherapy). @entity5 response assessment was performed at ten weeks from radiation completion. @entity1 with complete clinical response were strictly monitored and were not immediately operated on. @entity1 with incomplete clinical response were referred to surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-nine @entity1 had completed 12 months of follow-up and were included in this preliminary analysis. Twenty-eight (97%) successfully completed treatment. Fifteen of 16 @entity1 had @entity137 that were skin-related (93%). Median follow-up was 23 months. Fourteen @entity1 (48%) were considered as complete clinical responders sustained for at least 12 months (median, 24 months) after chemoradiation completion by clinical assessment alone. An additional five @entity1 (17%) were considered as complete responders with ypT0 results after full-thickness local excision. Overall, the complete response rate was 65%. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of chemotherapy during the resting period after neoadjuvant chemoradiation is associated with acceptable @entity137 and high tolerability rates. The considerably high rates of complete response in this preliminary series requires further follow-up, but they may provide valuable information for future prospective, randomized trials.

Increasing the rates of complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for XXXX : results of a prospective study using additional chemotherapy during the resting period.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity4181 :: ('MESH:D002955', 'Chemical') :: ['leucovorin'] @entity137 :: ('MESH:D064420', 'Disease') :: ['toxicity', 'Grade III toxicities'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor', 'Tumor', 'distal rectal cancer'] @entity1487 :: ('MESH:D005472', 'Chemical') :: ['5-fluorouracil']
@entity5 :: (MESH:D009369,Disease) :: ['distal rectal cancer']
