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Colorectal cancer

Survival outcomes of salvage surgery in the watch-and-wait approach for rectal cancer with clinical complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis: Wenjie Lin, Ian Jun Yan Wee, Isaac Seow-En, Aik Yong Chok, Emile Kwong-Wei Tan; Ann Coloproctol. 2023;39(6):447-456. Published online December 28, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3393/ac.2022.01221.0174

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12 Citations

Purpose
This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the outcomes of the watch-and-wait (WW) approach versus radical surgery (RS) in rectal cancers with clinical complete response (cCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.
Methods
This study followed the PRISMA guidelines. Major databases were searched to identify relevant articles. WW and RS were compared through meta-analyses of pooled proportions. Primary outcomes included overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence, and distant metastasis rates. Pooled salvage surgery rates and outcomes were also collected. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was employed to assess the risk of bias.
Results
Eleven studies including 1,112 rectal cancer patients showing cCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiation were included. Of these patients, 378 were treated nonoperatively with WW, 663 underwent RS, and 71 underwent local excision. The 2-year OS (risk ratio [RR], 0.95; P = 0.94), 5-year OS (RR, 2.59; P = 0.25), and distant metastasis rates (RR, 1.05; P = 0.80) showed no significant differences between WW and RS. Local recurrence was more frequent in the WW group (RR, 6.93; P < 0.001), and 78.4% of patients later underwent salvage surgery (R0 resection rate, 97.5%). The 2-year DFS (RR, 1.58; P = 0.05) and 5-year DFS (RR, 2.07; P = 0.02) were higher among RS cases. However, after adjustment for R0 salvage surgery, DFS showed no significant between-group difference (RR, 0.82; P = 0.41).
Conclusion
Local recurrence rates are higher for WW than RS, but complete salvage surgery is often possible with similar long-term outcomes. WW is a viable strategy for rectal cancer with cCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiation, but further research is required to improve patient selection.

Citations

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FNU Anamika, Nicholas Hornstein, Mirac Ajredini, John R. T. Monson
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Watch‐and‐Wait Approach Following Neoadjuvant Chemo‐Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Retrospective Single‐Center Cohort Study
Georgi Kalev, Sylvia Buettner, Tianzuo Zhan, Ralf‐Dieter Hofheinz, Judit Boda‐Heggemann, Christoph Reissfelder, Steffen Seyfried, Georgi Vassilev, Julia Hardt
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Phase 2, Multicenter, Open-label, Nonrandomized Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Liposomal Irinotecan With 5-Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin, Followed by Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Rectal Cancer in a Watch-and-Wait Program
César Muñoz, María-C. Riesco Martinez, Lisardo Ugidos, Pilar García-Alfonso, Rafael Alvarez-Gallego, Paloma Peinado, Carmen Toledano, Luka Mihic-Góngora, Justo Gabriel Ortega Anselmi, Enrique Sanz Garcia, Emilio Vicente, Yolanda Quijano, Hipólito J. Durán
American Journal of Clinical Oncology.2025; 48(3): 142. CrossRef
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Journal of Clinical Medicine.2025; 14(3): 912. CrossRef
A management of patients achieving clinical complete response after neoadjuvant therapy and perspectives: on locally advanced rectal cancer
Yu-Xin Liu, Xin-Rong Yang, Lan-Qing Peng, Zhuo-Hong Li
Frontiers in Oncology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
ACCORD study: a national multi‐centre study of the watch and wait approach in patients with rectal cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand

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Current Practice in Asia-Pacific Region

Malignant disease, Rectal cancer

Current Status of “Watch-and-Wait” Rectal Cancer Treatment in Asia-Pacific Countries: Jung Wook Huh, Kotaro Maeda, Zheng Liu, Xishan Wang, April Camilla Roslani, Woo Yong Lee; Ann Coloproctol. 2020;36(2):70-77. Published online January 31, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3393/ac.2020.01.19

6,491 View
188 Download
17 Web of Science
16 Citations

Abstract PDF

Purpose
Current acceptance of the watch-and-wait (W&W) approach by surgeons in Asia-Pacific countries is unknown. An international survey was performed to determine status of the W&W approach on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Coloproctology (APFCP).
Methods
Surgeons in the APFCP completed an Institutional Review Board-approved anonymous e-survey and/or printed letters (for China) containing 19 questions regarding nonsurgical close observation in patients who achieved clinical complete response (cCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).
Results
Of the 417 responses, 80.8% (n = 337) supported the W&W approach and 65.5% (n = 273) treated patients who achieved cCR after nCRT. Importantly, 78% of participants (n = 326) preferred a selective W&W approach in patients with old age and medical comorbidities who achieved cCR. In regard to restaging methods after nCRT, the majority of respondents based their decision to use W&W on a combination of magnetic resonance imaging results (94.5%, n = 394) with other test results. For interval between nCRT completion and tumor response assessment, most participants used 8 weeks (n = 154, 36.9%), followed by 6 weeks (n = 127, 30.5%) and 4 weeks (n = 102, 24.5%). In response to the question of how often responders followed-up after W&W, the predominant period was every 3 months (209 participants, 50.1%) followed by every 2 months (75 participants, 18.0%). If local regrowth was found during follow-up, most participants (79.9%, n = 333) recommended radical surgery as an initial management.
Conclusion
The W&W approach is supported by 80% of Asia-Pacific surgeons and is practiced at 65%, although heterogeneous hospital or society protocols are also observed. These results inform oncologists of future clinical study participation.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Effects of clinical information on the treatment decisions for good responders to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy among rectal cancer patients
Eon Bin Kim, In Ja Park, Hwa Jung Kim, Jong Keon Jang, Seong Ho Park, Young Il Kim, Min Hyun Kim, Jong Lyul Lee, Chan Wook Kim, Yong Sik Yoon, Seok-Byung Lim, Chang Sik Yu
Annals of Coloproctology.2025; 41(5): 473. CrossRef
Patient and multidisciplinary team perspectives on watch and wait in rectal cancer
Helen Mohan, Mohammed Rabie, Ciaran Walsh, Deena Harji, Paul Sutton, Ian Geh, Ian Jackson, Emma Helbren, Martyn Evans, John T. Jenkins
Colorectal Disease.2023; 25(7): 1489. CrossRef
Organ preservation for early rectal cancer using preoperative chemoradiotherapy
Gyung Mo Son
Annals of Coloproctology.2023; 39(3): 191. CrossRef
International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons survey of surgeons’ preference on rectal cancer treatment
Audrius Dulskas, Philip F. Caushaj, Domas Grigoravicius, Liu Zheng, Richard Fortunato, Joseph W. Nunoo-Mensah, Narimantas E. Samalavicius
Annals of Coloproctology.2023; 39(4): 307. CrossRef
Clinical Implication of Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Metastasis in Rectal Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy
In Ja Park
The Ewha Medical Journal.2022; 45(1): 3. CrossRef
Multidisciplinary treatment strategy for early rectal cancer
Gyung Mo Son, In Young Lee, Sung Hwan Cho, Byung-Soo Park, Hyun Sung Kim, Su Bum Park, Hyung Wook Kim, Sang Bo Oh, Tae Un Kim, Dong Hoon Shin
Precision and Future Medicine.2022; 6(1): 32. CrossRef
Watch and wait strategies for rectal cancer: A systematic review
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Eun Jung Park, Seung Hyuk Baik
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Seijong Kim, Jung Wook Huh, Woo Yong Lee, Seong Hyeon Yun, Hee Cheol Kim, Yong Beom Cho, Yoonah Park, Jung Kyong Shin
Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
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The Ewha Medical Journal.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
The watch-and-wait strategy versus radical resection for rectal cancer patients with a good response (≤ycT2) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy
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Soo Young Oh, In Ja Park, Young IL Kim, Jong-Lyul Lee, Chan Wook Kim, Yong Sik Yoon, Seok-Byung Lim, Chang Sik Yu, Jin Cheon Kim
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Original Article

Oncologic Outcomes of Organ Preserving Approaches in Patients With Rectal Cancer Treated With Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy: In Ja Park, Jong Lyul Lee, Yong Sik Yoon, Chan Wook Kim, Seok-Byung Lim, Chang Sik Yu, Jin Cheon Kim; Ann Coloproctol. 2019;35(2):65-71. Published online April 30, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3393/ac.2019.03.17

6,155 View
129 Download
15 Web of Science
15 Citations

Abstract PDF

Purpose
We evaluated the oncologic outcomes of organ-preserving strategies in patients with rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT).
Methods
Between January 2008 and January 2013, 74 patients who underwent wait-and-watch (WW) (n = 42) and local excision (LE) (n = 32) were enrolled. Organ-preserving strategies were determined based on a combination of magnetic resonance imaging, sigmoidoscopy, and physical examination 4–6 weeks after completion of PCRT. The rectum sparing rate, 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated.
Results
The rectum was more frequently spared in the LE (100% vs. 87.5%, P = 0.018) at last follow-up. Recurrence occurred in 9 (28.1%) WW and 7 (16.7%) LE (P = 0.169). In the WW, 7 patients had only luminal regrowth and 2 had combined lung metastasis. In the LE, 2 (4.8%) had local recurrence only, 4 patients had distant metastasis, and 1 patient had local and distant metastasis. Among 13 patients who indicated salvage surgery (WW, n = 7; LE, n = 11), all in the WW received but all of LE refused salvage surgery (P = 0.048). The 5-year OS and 5-year RFS in overall patients was 92.7% and 76.9%, respectively, and were not different between WW and LE (P = 0.725, P = 0.129).
Conclusion
WW and LE were comparable in terms of 5-year OS and RFS. In the LE group, salvage treatment was performed much less among indicated patients. Therefore, methods to improve the oncologic outcomes of patients indicated for salvage treatment should be considered before local excision.

Citations

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Rectal Sparing Approaches after Neoadjuvant Treatment for Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Comparing Local Excision and Watch and Wait
Quoc Riccardo Bao, Stefania Ferrari, Giulia Capelli, Cesare Ruffolo, Marco Scarpa, Amedea Agnes, Giuditta Chiloiro, Elisa Palazzari, Emanuele Damiano Luca Urso, Salvatore Pucciarelli, Gaya Spolverato
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Organ preservation for early rectal cancer using preoperative chemoradiotherapy
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Can pretreatment platelet-to-lymphocyte and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios predict long-term oncologic outcomes after preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer?
Sang Hyun An, Ik Yong Kim
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Multidisciplinary treatment strategy for early rectal cancer
Gyung Mo Son, In Young Lee, Sung Hwan Cho, Byung-Soo Park, Hyun Sung Kim, Su Bum Park, Hyung Wook Kim, Sang Bo Oh, Tae Un Kim, Dong Hoon Shin
Precision and Future Medicine.2022; 6(1): 32. CrossRef
Pretreatment inflammatory markers predicting treatment outcomes in colorectal cancer
Sanghyun An, Hongjin Shim, Kwangmin Kim, Bora Kim, Hui-Jae Bang, Hyejin Do, Hyang-Rae Lee, Youngwan Kim
Annals of Coloproctology.2022; 38(2): 97. CrossRef
Watch and wait strategies for rectal cancer: A systematic review
In Ja Park
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The watch-and-wait strategy versus radical resection for rectal cancer patients with a good response (≤ycT2) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy
Chungyeop Lee, In Ja Park, Seok-Byung Lim, Chang Sik Yu, Jin Cheon Kim
Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research.2022; 103(6): 350. CrossRef
Improvement in the Assessment of Response to Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and a Multigene Biomarker
Eunhae Cho, Sung Woo Jung, In Ja Park, Jong Keon Jang, Seong Ho Park, Seung-Mo Hong, Jong Lyul Lee, Chan Wook Kim, Yong Sik Yoon, Seok-Byung Lim, Chang Sik Yu, Jin Cheon Kim
Cancers.2021; 13(14): 3480. CrossRef
Comparison between Local Excision and Radical Resection for the Treatment of Rectal Cancer in ypT0-1 Patients: An Analysis of the Clinicopathological Factors and Survival Rates
Soo Young Oh, In Ja Park, Young IL Kim, Jong-Lyul Lee, Chan Wook Kim, Yong Sik Yoon, Seok-Byung Lim, Chang Sik Yu, Jin Cheon Kim
Cancers.2021; 13(19): 4823. CrossRef
Functional outcomes after sphincter-preserving surgeries for low-lying rectal cancer: A review
Eun Jung Park, Seung Hyuk Baik
Precision and Future Medicine.2021; 5(4): 164. CrossRef
The risk of distant metastases in rectal cancer managed by a watch-and-wait strategy – A systematic review and meta-analysis
Joanna Socha, Lucyna Kępka, Wojciech Michalski, Karol Paciorek, Krzysztof Bujko
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