Cohort Study: Short-Course Radiotherapy with CAPOX Shows Favorable Outcomes in High-Risk Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
7 Sep, 2024 | 09:38h | UTCStudy Design and Population: This Swedish nationwide cohort study examined total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) for 273 patients with high-risk locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) using short-course radiotherapy (5×5 Gy) followed by four cycles of CAPOX chemotherapy. Patients were treated between July 2016 and June 2020 across 16 hospitals, with 189 additional patients treated off-study. The study aimed to evaluate the complete response (CR) rate, comparing outcomes with the RAPIDO trial.
Main Findings: The CR rate, including both pathological complete response (pCR) and clinical complete response (cCR), was 24% (LARCT-US group) and 23% (AdmL group), comparable to the RAPIDO trial’s results. Locoregional recurrences were low (6% and 5%, respectively) after 3 years. Neurotoxicity was lower than in RAPIDO, and overall, the treatment was well tolerated. Notably, two fewer chemotherapy cycles did not compromise the CR rate.
Implications for Practice: While the study demonstrates promising outcomes using short-course radiotherapy and four CAPOX cycles for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), these findings are based on an observational study, which inherently limits the ability to draw definitive causal conclusions. Despite this, the real-world data suggests that a shorter chemotherapy regimen may be both feasible and effective. Further randomized trials are needed to confirm these results and assess long-term outcomes. Clinicians should cautiously apply this regimen, considering both the evidence and individual patient factors.