Study: Radiation Before Rectal Cancer Survey Reduces Recurrence

Radiation treatments given to patients before surgery for rectal cancer may reduce the rate of recurrence of the cancer at or near the original tumor site, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

To prevent recurrence of rectal cancer, physicians often remove the tissue surrounding the rectum in a procedure called total mesorectal excision. But researchers have not been sure whether additional treatment using radiation was helpful in keeping recurring tumors at bay.

Researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands studied more than 1,800 patients who had either total mesorectal excision alone (937) or the procedure with radiation given before the surgery (924).

Survival after 2 years was similar for both groups, but recurrence rates were greater for those not having radiation therapy, they reported.

"We found that radiotherapy before (total mesorectal excision) can improve local control of the disease," said the researchers.

Other Sources: New England Journal of Medicine