Beware of Early Relapse in Rectal Cancer Patients Treated With Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy

Abstract

Purpose: Recurrence patterns in rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) are needed to evaluate for establishing tailored surveillance protocol. Methods: This study included 2,215 patients with locally-advanced mid and low rectal cancer treated with radical resection between January 2005 and December 2012. Recurrence was evaluated according to receipt of PCRT; PCRT group (n=1,258) and no-PCRT group (n=957). Early recurrence occurred within 1 year of surgery and late recurrence after 3 years. The median follow-up duration was 65.7 +/- 29 months. Results: The overall recurrence rate was similar between the PCRT and no-PCRT group (25.8% vs. 24.9%, P=0.622). The most common initial recurrence site was the lungs in both groups ( 50.6% vs. 49.6%, P=0.864), followed by the liver, which was more common in the no-PCRT group (22.5% vs. 33.6%, P=0.004). Most of the recurrence occurred within 3 years after surgery in both groups (85.3% vs. 85.8%, P=0.862). Early recurrence was more common in the PCRT group than in the no-PCRT group (43.1% vs. 32.4%, P=0.020). Recurrence within the first 6 months after surgery was significantly higher in the PCRT group than in the no-PCRT group (18.8% vs. 7.6%, P=0.003). Lung (n=27, 44.3%) and liver (n=22, 36.1%) were the frequent the first relapsed site within 6 months after surgery in PCRT group. Conclusion: Early recurrence within the first 1 year after surgery was more common in patients treated with PCRT. This difference would be considered for surveillance protocols and need to be evaluated in further studies.