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The standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (clinical T3/4N0 or T any N+) has evolved from upfront surgery followed by postoperative adjuvant therapy to a paradigm delivering neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT). More recently, the sequence of therapies has been re-examined, delivering all treatment (CRT and chemotherapy) in a total neoadjuvant approach. Subgroups of patients with locally advanced or earlier stage disease may achieve a clinical complete response (cCR), allowing highly selected patients to defer or avoid major pelvic surgery, managed by a rectal-preserving non-operative management (NOM) strategy. In rare instances, early and severe toxicity may occur during CRT which can be associated with genetic alterations that disrupt DNA damage response pathways. In this case report, we highlight the clinical course of a patient with T2N0 rectal cancer who declined APR and subsequently experienced early toxicity during treatment, ultimately discovered to be a carrier for Fanconi anemia after broad panel testing for hereditary cancer. Summary Acute toxicities secondary to pelvic radiotherapy are common, however, most are not treatment-limiting. In rare instances, radiotherapy can induce acute and severe toxicities which may be attributed to genetic alterations. Pathogenic genetic variants in DNA damage response genes can be associated with radiation-induced toxicity. Herein, we describe a patient with rectal cancer receiving pelvic irradiation with significant early toxicity subsequently confirmed to have a heterozygous Fanconi anemia mutation in the FANCD2 gene.

Background: Obesity rates are higher among rural versus urban adolescents. To examine possible mechanisms for the rural-urban adolescent obesity disparity, we examined the direct and indirect effects of food purchasing patterns, and the home, school, and consumer food environments on dietary intake among rural adolescents. Methods: A baseline survey was conducted among adolescents in eight rural high schools (four in Eastern Kentucky, and four in Eastern North Carolina). Participants answered questions about food purchasing patterns, dietary intake, home food availability, and demographics. The school and consumer food environments were assessed using validated measures from the School Meals Cost Study (United States Department of Agriculture-Mathematica) and the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Stores, Restaurants, and Corner Stores. Results: Of 432 adolescents, 55% were normal weight, 24% were overweight, and 21% were obese. There was a direct association between unhealthy food purchasing patterns (shopping frequently at gas stations, fast food, and dollar stores) and consuming more added sugars, when compared to those with a healthy shopping pattern (shopping less frequently at gas stations, fast food, and dollar stores) [Odds Ratio = 2.41 (95% CI (confidence interval) 0.99, 3.82)]. Those who reported always having fruits and vegetables in the home consumed more servings of fruits and vegetables [OR = 0.31 cups (95% CI 0.22, 0.44)] compared to those who reported never having fruits and vegetables in the home. Adolescents attending a school with a low healthy food availability score consumed fewer servings of fruits and vegetables [−0.001 (95% CI −0.001, 0.0001)] compared to those attending a school with a high healthy food availability score. Conclusions: There are direct associations between food purchasing patterns, the home and school food environments, and dietary intake among rural adolescents. These cross-sectional results informed the development of the “Go Big and Bring it Home” program, a text messaging intervention to improve adolescents’ fruit, vegetable, and healthy beverage intake.