PURPOSE

This study was conducted to validate the prognostic influence of treatment response among patients with positive circumferential resection margin for locally advanced rectal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical data of 197 patientswith positive circumferentialresection margin defined as ≤ 2 mm after preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision between 2004 and 2009were collected forthis multicenter validation study. All patients underwent median 50.4Gy radiationwith concurrentfluoropyrimidine based chemotherapy. Treatmentresponse was dichotomized to good response, including treatmentresponse of grade 2 or 3, and poor response, including grade 0 or 1.

RESULTS

After 52 months median follow-up, 5-year overall survival (OS) for good responders and poor responders was 79.1% and 48.4%, respectively (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, circumferential resection margin involvement and treatment response were a prognosticator for OS and locoregional recurrence-free survival. In subgroup analysis, good responders with close margin showed significantly better survival outcomes for survival. Good responders with involved margin and poor responders with close margin shared similar results, whereas poorresponderswith involved margin hadworst survival (5-year OS, 81.2%, 57.0%, 50.0%, and 32.4%, respectively; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Among patients with positive circumferential resection margin after preoperative chemoradiotherapy, survival of the good responders was significantly better than poor responders. Subgroup analysis revealed that definition of positive circumferential resection margin may be individualized as involvement for good responders, whereas ≤ 2 mm for poor responders.