The international surgical journal with global reach

This is the Scientific Surgery Archive, which contains all randomized clinical trials in surgery that have been identified by searching the top 50 English language medical journal issues since January 1998. Compiled by Jonothan J. Earnshaw, former Editor-in-Chief, BJS

Preoperative versus postoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer N Engl J Med 2004; 351: 1731-1740.

Published: 1st January 2004

Authors: Sauer R, Becker H, Hohenberger W, Rödel C, Wittekind C, Fietkau R et al.

Conclusion

Overall five year survival rates were similar for preoperative (76 per cent) and postoperative chemoradiotherapy (74 per cent), p=0.8, in this trial that included 823 patients. Preoperative treatment was associated with reduced toxicity (40 vs. 27 per cent, p=0.001) and fewer local relapses (6 vs. 13 per cent, p=0.006).

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