A watch-and-wait approach for locally advanced rectal cancer after a clinical complete response following neoadjuvant chemoradiation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is associated with better survival, less local recurrence, and less distant failure. Furthermore, pCR indicates that the rectum may have been preserved. This meta-analysis gives an overview of available neoadjuvant treatment strategies for LARC and analyzes how these perform in achieving pCR as compared with the standard of care. Methods Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Central bibliographic databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials in which patients received neoadjuvant treatment for MRI-staged nonmetastatic resectable LARC were included. The primary outcome was pCR, defined as ypT0N0. A meta-analysis of studies comparing an intervention with standard fluoropyrimidine-based chemoradiation (CRT) was performed. Results Of the 17 articles included in the systematic review, 11 were used for the meta-analysis. Addition of oxaliplatin to fluoropyrimidine-based CRT resulted in significantly more pCR compared with fluoropyrimidine-based CRT only (OR 1.46), but at the expense of more ≥ grade 3 toxicity. Other treatment strategies, including consolidation/induction chemotherapy and short-course radiotherapy (SCRT), did not improve pCR rates. None of the included trials reported a benefit in local control or OS. Five-year DFS was significantly worse after SCRT-delay compared with CRT (59% vs. 75.1%, HR 1.93). Conclusions All included trials fail to deliver high-level evidence to show an improvement in pCR compared with standard fluoropyrimidine-based CRT. The addition of oxaliplatin might result in more pCR but at the expense of more toxicity. Furthermore, this benefit does not translate into less local recurrence or improved survival.

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Pilot Study of Patients’ Preferences for Immediate Resection Versus a Watch and Wait Approach After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

JCO Oncology Practice ◽

10.1200/op.20.00158 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. OP.20.00158

Author(s):

Ashray Gunjur ◽

Grace Chazan ◽

Genni Newnham ◽

Sue-Anne McLachlan

Keyword(s):

Rectal Cancer ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Complete Response ◽

Advanced Rectal Cancer ◽

Recurrence Risk ◽

Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer ◽

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation ◽

Watch And Wait ◽

Time Tradeoff

PURPOSE: In patients with rectal cancer who achieve a clinical complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation, it may be reasonable to adopt a watch-and-wait (W&W) strategy rather than proceed to immediate resection of the rectum. Patient preferences for this strategy are unknown. The primary aim of the current study was to determine the feasibility of assessing hypothetical recurrence and survival differences that relevant patients would tolerate to avoid immediate resection of the rectum. A secondary aim included estimating patients’ tolerance thresholds and the factors that might predict them. METHODS: We developed a study-specific written questionnaire based on a previously validated instrument. Hypothetical time tradeoff tasks were used to determine the recurrence rate patients would accept to adopt a W&W strategy and the survival benefit that would be needed to justify choosing immediate resection over W&W. Feasibility was measured on the basis of response rate, the stated ease of completion and the satisfaction of task, and time used. RESULTS: Twenty of 31 potentially eligible patients completed the study-specific questionnaire. The majority of respondents felt that questions were clear (70%) and not hard to understand (65%). The median acceptable recurrence risk to adopt a W&W strategy was 20% (interquartile range [IQR], 10%-35%). Patients required a median of 2.0 extra years of survival (IQR, 1.0-3.0 years) over a baseline 7.0 years, and they required a median extra 10% (IQR, 4%-19%) over baseline 70% survival rates to justify immediate resection. CONCLUSION: Measuring the preferences of patients with rectal cancer using time tradeoff methods seemed to be feasible. Larger studies are needed to confirm how acceptable a W&W strategy would be for relevant patients.

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