Guideline-Recommended Chemoradiation for Patients With Rectal Cancer at Large Hospitals: A Trend in the Right Direction

This study aims to examine trends of patients with rectal cancer who are receiving care at large hospitals, to determine the patient characteristics associated with treatment at large hospitals, and to assess the relationships between treatment at large hospitals and guideline-recommended therapy. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective cohort analysis to assess trends in rectal cancer treatment. SETTINGS: Data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Patterns of Care studies were used. PATIENTS: The study population consisted of adults diagnosed with stages II/III rectal cancer in 1990/1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was treatment at large hospitals (≥500 beds). The receipt of guideline-recommended preoperative chemoradiation therapy and postoperative chemotherapy was assessed for patients diagnosed in 2005+. RESULTS: Two thousand two hundred thirty-one patients were included. The proportion treated at large hospitals increased from 19% in 1990/1991 to 27% in 2015 (ptrend
Source: Diseases of the Colon and Rectum - Category: Gastroenterology Tags: Original contributions: Colorectal Cancer Source Type: research