Significant decrease of the pathological stage I rectal carcinoma in the era of neoadjuvant therapy —A matter of concern

Neoadjuvant treatment (nTx) for rectal cancer is commonly reserved for UICC stages II/III. Patients with stage I tumours (T1-2N0M0) are not candidates for  nTx. The accuracy of treatment allocation depends on the precision of clinical staging, which is liable to understaging and overstaging. The study aimed at exploring changes in the proportion of stage pI patients with the introduction of nTx over a 26-year period.
Source: European Journal of Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Original Research Source Type: research