The prognostic value of tumour regression grade following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for rectal cancer. (January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abdul‐Jalil, K. I.; Sheehan, K. M.; Kehoe, J.; Cummins, R.; O'Grady, A.; McNamara, D. A.; Deasy, J.; Breathnach, O.; Grogan, L.; O'Neill, B. D. P.; Faul, C.; Parker, I.; Kay, E. W.; Hennessy, B. T.; Gillen, P.
• Is Part Of: Colorectal disease. Volume 16:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: O16
• Page End: O25
• Publication Date: 2014-01
• Subjects: Colon (Anatomy) -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Rectum -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.34
• DOI: 10.1111/codi.12439
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-8910

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="codi12439-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="codi12439-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To date, there is no uniform consensus on whether tumour regression grade (TRG) is predictive of outcome in rectal cancer. Furthermore, the lack of standardization of TRG grading is a major source of variability in published studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of TRG in a cohort of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT). In addition to the Mandard TRG, we utilized four TRG systems modified from the Mandard TRG system and applied them to the cohort to assess which TRG system is most informative.</p> </sec> <sec id="codi12439-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Method</title> <p>One‐hundred and fifty‐three patients with a T3/T4 and/or a node‐positive rectal cancer underwent neoadjuvant 5‐fluorouracil‐based CRT followed by surgical resection.</p> </sec> <sec id="codi12439-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Thirty‐six (23.5%) patients achieving complete pathological response (ypCR) had a 5‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) rate of 100% compared with a DFS rate of 74% for 117 (76.5%) patients without ypCR (<italic>P</italic> = 0.003). The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) TRG best condenses the Mandard five‐point TRG by stratifying patients into three groups with distinct 5‐year DFS rates of 100%, 86% and 67%, respectively (<italic>P</italic> = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, pathological nodal status and circumferential resection margin (CRM) status, but not TRG, remained significant predictors of DFS (<italic>P</italic> = 0.002, <italic>P</italic> = 0.035 and <italic>P</italic> = 0.310, respectively).</p> </sec> <sec id="codi12439-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Our findings support the notion that ypCR status, nodal status after neoadjuvant CRT and CRM status, but not TRG, are predictors of long‐term survival in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.</p> </sec> </abstract>