scholarly journals Re-staging and follow-up of rectal cancer patients with MR imaging when “Watch-and-Wait” is an option: a practical guide

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Santiago ◽  
Bernardete Rodrigues ◽  
Maria Barata ◽  
Nuno Figueiredo ◽  
Laura Fernandez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rectal Cancer ◽  
Mr Imaging ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Rectal Wall ◽  
Primary Tumour ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Watch And Wait ◽  
Practical Guide

AbstractIn the past nearly 20 years, organ-sparing when no apparent viable tumour is present after neoadjuvant therapy has taken an increasingly relevant role in the therapeutic management of locally-advanced rectal cancer patients. The decision to include a patient or not in a “Watch-and-Wait” program relies mainly on endoscopic assessment by skilled surgeons, and MR imaging by experienced radiologists. Strict surveillance using the same modalities is required, given the chance of a local regrowth is of approximately 25–30%, almost always surgically salvageable if caught early. Local regrowths occur at the endoluminal aspect of the primary tumour bed in almost 90% of patients, but the rest are deep within it or outside the rectal wall, in which case detection relies solely on MR Imaging. In this educational review, we provide a practical guide for radiologists who are, or intend to be, involved in the re-staging and follow-up of rectal cancer patients in institutions with an established “Watch-and-Wait” program. First, we discuss patient preparation and MR imaging acquisition technique. Second, we focus on the re-staging MR imaging examination and review the imaging findings that allow us to assess response. Third, we focus on follow-up assessments of patients who defer surgery and confer about the early signs that may indicate a sustained/non-sustained complete response, a rectal/extra-rectal regrowth, and the particular prognosis of the “near-complete” responders. Finally, we discuss our proposed report template.

Watch and wait approach following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer patients: A single-centre experience.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 681-681
Author(s):  
Ji Zhu ◽  
Jingwen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Rectal Cancer ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy ◽  
Disease Free Survival ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Advanced Rectal Cancer ◽  
Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer ◽  
Preoperative Treatment ◽  
Watch And Wait

681 Background: A watch-and-wait approach for patients with clinical complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation could avoid the morbidity of conventional surgery for rectal cancer. Here, we report the survival outcome of patients with this strategy in our center. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the rectal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy since 2015 in our center. Preoperative regimen included long-course radiotherapy (50 Gy / 25 Fx) combined fluoropyrimidin–based chemotherapy concurrently. MRI and endoscopic evaluation were performed after preoperative treatment. Patients with complete tumor response were referred to the “watch-and-wait” approach and omitted the surgery. Four to six cycles of consolidation chemotherapy were performed. Patients were followed up clinically, endoscopically, and radiologically to assess for local recurrence or disease progression. Results: From January 2015 to March 2018, a total of 47 patients with rectal cancer in our center received conservative treatment following neoadjuvant therapy. The median age of the patients is 58 (53-66). The proportions of stages I to IV are 4.3%, 12.8%, 70.2%, 8.5%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 20 month, tumor regrowth occurred in five out of 47 (10.6%) patients. All local regrowth was diagnosed in the first two years, and four out of five (80%) of local regrowth was located in the bowel wall. All patients underwent salvage surgery. Distant metastasis was diagnosed in four of 47 patients (8.5%). two-year overall survival was 89.9%, and two-year disease-free survival was 76.5%. Conclusions: Organ preservation for locally advanced rectal cancer is feasible for selected patients who achieve a complete response to individualized neoadjuvant CRT. The survival of patients is not impaired with “watch-and-wait” strategy.

scholarly journals Watch and Wait Approach for Rectal Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Treatment: The Experience of a High Volume Cancer Center

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1507
Author(s):  
Daniela Rega ◽  
Vincenza Granata ◽  
Carmela Romano ◽  
Valentina D’Angelo ◽  
Ugo Pace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rectal Cancer ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
Neoadjuvant Treatment ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Watch And Wait ◽  
Clinical Complete Response

Multimodal treatments for rectal cancer, along with significant research on predictors to response to therapy, have led to more conservative surgical strategies. We describe our experience of the rectal sparing approach in rectal cancer patients with clinical complete response (cCR) after neoadjuvant treatment. We also specifically highlight our clinical and imaging criteria to select patients for the watch and wait strategy (w&w). Data came from 39 out of 670 patients treated for locally advanced rectal cancer between January 2016 until February 2020. The selection criteria were a clinical complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy managed with a watch and wait (w&w) strategy. A strict follow-up period was adopted in these selected patients and follow-ups were performed every three months during the first two years and every six months after that. The median follow-up time was 28 months. Six patients had a local recurrence (15.3%); all were salvageable by total mesorectal excision (TME). Five patients had a distant metastasis (12.8%). There was no local unsalvageable disease after w&w strategy. The rectal sparing approach in patients with clinical complete response after neoadjuvant treatment is the best possible treatment and is appropriate to analyze from this perspective. The watch and wait approach after neoadjuvant treatment for rectal cancer can be successfully explored after inflexible and strict patient selection.

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

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.

scholarly journals Avoiding Unnecessary Major Rectal Cancer Surgery by Implementing Structural Restaging and a Watch-and-Wait Strategy After Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Huisman ◽  
I. J. H. Schoenaker ◽  
R. M. Brohet ◽  
O. Reerink ◽  
H. van der Sluis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rectal Cancer ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
Pathologic Complete Response ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Advanced Rectal Cancer ◽  
Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer ◽  
Response Evaluation ◽  
Watch And Wait ◽  
Time To Event

Abstract Background Pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is found in 15–20% of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. A watch-and-wait (W&W) strategy has been introduced as an alternative strategy to avoid surgery for selected patients with a clinical complete response at multidisciplinary response evaluation. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the multidisciplinary response evaluation by comparing the proportion of patients with pCR since the introduction of the structural response evaluation with the period before response evaluation. Methods This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent nCRT between January 2009 and May 2018, categorizing them into cohort A (period 2009–2015) and cohort B (period 2015–2018). The patients in cohort B underwent structural multidisciplinary response evaluation with the option of the W&W strategy. Proportion of pCR (ypT0N0), time-to-event (pCR) analysis, and stoma-free survival were evaluated in both cohorts. Results Of the 259 patients in the study, 21 (18.4%) in cohort A and in 8 (8.7%) in cohort B had pCR (p = 0.043). Time-to-event analysis demonstrated a significant pCR decline in cohort B (p < 0.001). The stoma-free patient rate was 24% higher in cohort B (p < 0.001). Conclusion Multidisciplinary clinical response evaluation after nCRT for locally advanced rectal cancer led to a significant decrease in unnecessary surgery for the patients with a complete response.

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