A study presented at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons' annual meeting found that receiving short-term radiation therapy before rectal cancer surgery benefits patients.
The data came from the Swedish Rectal Cancer Trial, which examined more than 900 patients who received a surgical resection intended to cure rectal cancer. Some patients had surgery alone. Others had radiation first. The patients who received radiation first, enjoyed longer overall survival and lower recurrence rates.
Specifically, the group that received preoperative radiation had a 72% cancer-specific survival rate, as opposed to 62% in the surgery-only group. The radiation group had a 9% local recurrence rate, as opposed to a 26% local recurrence rate in the surgery-only group.
If you're scheduled for rectal cancer surgery, you may want to discuss the possibility of short-term radiation therapy with your doctor. She/he should be able to tell you more about it and determine if the benefits would outweigh the risks.
Related Research:
- Benefits of Esophageal Doppler-Guided Fluid Management
- Chemo and Radiation Before Surgery Help Keep Rectal Cancer from Coming Back
- Chemoradiation Before Surgery Instead of After?
