Neoadjuvant capecitabine and oxaliplatin before chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision in MRI-defined poor-risk rectal cancer: a phase 2 trial.

Background: Patients with poor-risk rectal cancer defined by MRI can be at high risk of disease recurrence despite standard chemoradiotherapy and optimum surgery. We aimed to assess the safety and long-term efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine and oxaliplatin before chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision, a treatment strategy developed to enhance the outcome of this population.

Methods: Between November, 2001, and August, 2005, we enrolled eligible patients with poor-risk rectal cancer defined by high-resolution MRI and without metastatic disease.

Developing a saltmarsh classification tool for the European water framework directive.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) identifies marine angiosperms (seagrasses and saltmarshes) as one of the biological elements used to classify water body status. This paper concentrates on the saltmarsh classification tools currently under development in the UK and RoI by the Marine Plants Task Team (MPTT) of the UK Technical Advisory Group (UK TAG). Saltmarsh classification is presently focusing on habitat extent, zonation and species diversity in order to fulfil the requirements of the WFD normative definitions.

Neoadjuvant capecitabine and oxaliplatin followed by synchronous chemoradiation and total mesorectal excision in magnetic resonance imaging-defined poor-risk rectal cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate neoadjuvant capecitabine/oxaliplatin before chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME) in newly diagnosed patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -defined poor-risk rectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: MRI criteria for poor-risk rectal cancer were tumors within 1 mm of mesorectal fascia (ie, circumferential resection margin threatened), T3 tumors at or below levators, tumors extending > or = 5 mm into perirectal fat, T4 tumors, and T1-4N2 tumors. Patients received 12 weeks of neoadjuvant capecitabine/oxaliplatin followed by concomitant capecitabine and radiotherapy.

New innovative treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Campto is a useful new agent in the treatment of colorectal cancer that can offer good quality palliative care for many metastatic colorectal cancer patients who have failed 5-FU. The key to successful treatment with Campto is to prescribe it for patients with a good performance status and without bulky disease.