Radiation Therapy Before Surgery Compared With Chemotherapy Plus Radiation After Surgery in Treating Patients With Rectal Cancer That Can Be Surgically Removed

Summary

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether giving radiation therapy before surgery is more effective than giving chemotherapy plus radiation therapy after surgery in treating patients with rectal cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying radiation therapy given before surgery to see how well it works compared to chemotherapy and radiation therapy given after surgery in treating patients with rectal cancer that can be surgically removed.

Timeline

Start

1998-01

Primary completion

—

Completion

2010-06

Outcome

Met primary endpoint

paper reduction of 61% in the relative risk of local recurrence for patients receiving preoperative radiotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.39, 95% CI 0.27-0.58, p<0.0001) PMID 19269519 ↗

Publications

• Results Stephens RJ, Thompson LC, Quirke P, Steele R, Grieve R, Couture J, Griffiths GO, Sebag-Montefiore D. Impact of short-course preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer on patients' quality of life: data from the Medical Research Council CR07/National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group C016 randomized clinical trial. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Sep 20;28(27):4233-9. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.26.5264. Epub 2010 Jun 28.
• Results Quirke P, Steele R, Monson J, Grieve R, Khanna S, Couture J, O'Callaghan C, Myint AS, Bessell E, Thompson LC, Parmar M, Stephens RJ, Sebag-Montefiore D; MRC CR07/NCIC-CTG CO16 Trial Investigators; NCRI Colorectal Cancer Study Group. Effect of the plane of surgery achieved on local recurrence in patients with operable rectal cancer: a prospective study using data from the MRC CR07 and NCIC-CTG CO16 randomised clinical trial. Lancet. 2009 Mar 7;373(9666):821-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60485-2.
• Results Sebag-Montefiore D, Stephens RJ, Steele R, Monson J, Grieve R, Khanna S, Quirke P, Couture J, de Metz C, Myint AS, Bessell E, Griffiths G, Thompson LC, Parmar M. Preoperative radiotherapy versus selective postoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer (MRC CR07 and NCIC-CTG C016): a multicentre, randomised trial. Lancet. 2009 Mar 7;373(9666):811-20. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60484-0.
• Results Quirke P, Sebag-Montefiore D, Steele R, et al.: Local recurrence after rectal cancer resection is strongly related to the plane of surgical dissection and is further reduced by pre-operative short course radiotherapy. Preliminary results of the Medical Research Council (MRC) CR07 trial. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 24 (Suppl 18): A-3512, 2006.
• Results Sebag-Montefiore D, Steele R, Quirke P, et al.: Routine short course pre-op radiotherapy or selective post-op chemoradiotherapy for resectable rectal cancer? Preliminary results of the MRC CR07 randomised trial. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 24 (Suppl 18): A-3511, 2006.
• Results Sebag-Montefiore D: An update report on the MRC CR07 trial. [Abstract] Br J Cancer 85 (suppl 1): A-9.3, 28, 2001.

Drugs

Indications