Search

3536 Background: Accurate preoperative assessment of rectal carcinoma response to neoadjuvant CMT may guide subsequent therapy, including extent of resection. Our aim was to determine the accuracy of this clinical assessment in a prospective manner. Methods: The study group consisted of 94 prospectively accrued patients with locally advanced (bulky or endorectal ultrasound T3/T4 and/or N1) rectal carcinoma at a median distance of 6.75 cm from the anal verge (range 0–13 cm) treated with preoperative CMT (5040 cGy with 5-FU-based chemotherapy) followed by radical surgery with total mesorectal excision. The operating surgeon prospectively assessed the tumor in terms of specific parameters: mobility, morphology, and circumference of lesion prior to initiation of CMT. Under anesthesia, the same operating surgeon estimated tumor response based upon the same specific parameters and categorized the extent of response into 5 groups: 1=progression; 2= 0–29%; 3=30–59%; 4=60–89%; and 5=greater than 90% response. Perc...