Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study

Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation and Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) have shown pathological complete response (pCR) rates of 15-27%. The pCR is a significant predictor of survival. The Mandard Tumour Regression Grading (TRG) system is used to report pathological response. Aim: To evaluate...

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Main Authors: Maria Baby, Jomon Raphael, B Rajkrishna, Mathew Varghese, Febin Antony
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
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Online Access:https://jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709x&year=2025&month=August&volume=19&issue=8&page=XC15-XC18&id=21355
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author Maria Baby
Jomon Raphael
B Rajkrishna
Mathew Varghese
Febin Antony
author_facet Maria Baby
Jomon Raphael
B Rajkrishna
Mathew Varghese
Febin Antony
author_sort Maria Baby
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation and Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) have shown pathological complete response (pCR) rates of 15-27%. The pCR is a significant predictor of survival. The Mandard Tumour Regression Grading (TRG) system is used to report pathological response. Aim: To evaluate the pathological response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation and to investigate Disease-Free Survival (DFS). Materials and Methods: This single-centre cohort ambispective study was conducted from January 2019 to July 2023 at the Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India. It included patients aged 18-75 years with T3, T4, any NM0, and any T, N1, N2M0 rectal cancer, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 1-2. Patients who did not undergo surgery or chemotherapy at our centre, those who refused surgery, and those planned for Total Neoadjuvant Therapy (TNT) or short-course radiation therapy were excluded. Thirty-nine patients meeting the criteria were included in the study. All patients underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation using Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) to a dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over five and a half weeks, combined with concurrent chemotherapy using Capecitabine 825 mg/m² twice daily. All operable patients subsequently underwent TME, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Pathological response was assessed using Mandard TRG. Results: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled. The most common tumour location was found to be between 6-10 cm from the anal verge (22, 56.41%). The most frequent radiological T stage was T3, constituting 26 patients (66.67%), and 16 patients (41.03%) presented with N2 disease. TRG 1 was observed in seven patients (17.95%), TRG 2 in six patients (15.38%), TRG 3 in 21 patients (53.85%), TRG 4 in four patients (10.26%), and TRG 5 in one patient (2.56%). The median follow-up time was 24 months (range: 3-60 months). The two-year DFS was 86%. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer demonstrated meaningful pathological tumour regression and encouraging DFS outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-79eb85247c814b17b58dd79d058abfc22025-08-20T04:00:32ZengJCDR Research and Publications Private LimitedJournal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research2249-782X2025-08-01198XC15XC1810.7860/JCDR/2025/78942.21355Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort StudyMaria Baby0Jomon Raphael1B Rajkrishna2Mathew Varghese3Febin Antony4Junior Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation and Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) have shown pathological complete response (pCR) rates of 15-27%. The pCR is a significant predictor of survival. The Mandard Tumour Regression Grading (TRG) system is used to report pathological response. Aim: To evaluate the pathological response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation and to investigate Disease-Free Survival (DFS). Materials and Methods: This single-centre cohort ambispective study was conducted from January 2019 to July 2023 at the Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India. It included patients aged 18-75 years with T3, T4, any NM0, and any T, N1, N2M0 rectal cancer, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 1-2. Patients who did not undergo surgery or chemotherapy at our centre, those who refused surgery, and those planned for Total Neoadjuvant Therapy (TNT) or short-course radiation therapy were excluded. Thirty-nine patients meeting the criteria were included in the study. All patients underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation using Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) to a dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over five and a half weeks, combined with concurrent chemotherapy using Capecitabine 825 mg/m² twice daily. All operable patients subsequently underwent TME, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Pathological response was assessed using Mandard TRG. Results: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled. The most common tumour location was found to be between 6-10 cm from the anal verge (22, 56.41%). The most frequent radiological T stage was T3, constituting 26 patients (66.67%), and 16 patients (41.03%) presented with N2 disease. TRG 1 was observed in seven patients (17.95%), TRG 2 in six patients (15.38%), TRG 3 in 21 patients (53.85%), TRG 4 in four patients (10.26%), and TRG 5 in one patient (2.56%). The median follow-up time was 24 months (range: 3-60 months). The two-year DFS was 86%. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer demonstrated meaningful pathological tumour regression and encouraging DFS outcomes.https://jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709x&year=2025&month=August&volume=19&issue=8&page=XC15-XC18&id=21355disease-free survivaltotal mesorectal excisiontumour regression grading
spellingShingle Maria Baby
Jomon Raphael
B Rajkrishna
Mathew Varghese
Febin Antony
Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
disease-free survival
total mesorectal excision
tumour regression grading
title Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study
title_full Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study
title_fullStr Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study
title_full_unstemmed Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study
title_short Pathological Response Assessment following Long Course Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Cohort Study
title_sort pathological response assessment following long course neoadjuvant chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer a single institutional cohort study
topic disease-free survival
total mesorectal excision
tumour regression grading
url https://jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709x&year=2025&month=August&volume=19&issue=8&page=XC15-XC18&id=21355
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AT brajkrishna pathologicalresponseassessmentfollowinglongcourseneoadjuvantchemoradiationinlocallyadvancedrectalcancerasingleinstitutionalcohortstudy
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