Progress in Rectal Cancer Treatment

Table 1

Prospective randomized comparisons between radiotherapy alone and chemoradiation.

Study	Tx	𝑁	RT dose (Gy); Total per fraction	Chemo	pCR	SPS	LR at 5 years	OS at 5 years	DFS at 5 years	Incidence of distant metastases
EORTC (Boulis-Wassif et al.) [59]	CRT	126	34.5/2.3	5-FU	4.8%	10.5%	15.1%	54%	—	30% overall
	RT	121	34.5/2.3	—	2.5%	5%	14.9%	41.3%	—
EORTC 22921 (Bosset et al.) [60–62]	CRT	506	45/1.8	FUFA	13.7%	52.8%	8.7%*	65.8%	56.1%	34.4% overall
	RT	505	45/1.8	—	5.3%	50.5	17.1%*	64.8%	54.4%
FFCD 9203 (Gérard et al.) [63, 64]	CRT	375	45/1.8	FUFA	11.4%	52.7%	8.1%	67.4%	59.4%	—
	RT	367	45/1.8	—	3.6%	51.8%	16.5%	67.9%	55.5%	—
Polish trial (Bujko et al.) [65–67]	CRT	157	50.4/1.8	FUFA	16%	55.4%	14.2%	66.2%**	55.6%**	34.6%
	RT	155	25/5	—	1%	56.1%	9%	67.2%**	58.4%**	31.4%
GRECCAR I [68]	CRT	101	45/1.8	FUFA	12.5%	86%	5%	—	—	—
	RT	106	45 + 18	—	7%	83%	6%	—	—	—
Australian Intergroup [69]	CRT	163	50.4/1.8	FUFA	—	—	4.4%^#	70%	69%	—
	RT	163	25/5	—	—	—	7.5%^#	74%	72%	—
Lithuanian study [53]	CRT	46	50/1.8−2	FUFA	13.1%	69.6%	—	—	—	—
	RT	37	25/5 (delayed surgery)	—	2.7%	70.3%	—	—	—	—

EORTC: European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer; FFCD: Fédération Francophone de la Cancérologie Digestive; RT: radiotherapy; pCR: pathological complete response; SPS: sphincter preserving surgery; LR: local recurrence; OS: overall survival; DFS: disease free survival; *in the groups not receiving postop chemotherapy (4 arm trial); **4-year data; ^#3-year data actuarial survival.