Prediction of Poor Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Patients With Rectal Cancer Using a DNA Repair Deregulation Score: Picking the Losers Instead of the Winners.

Background: Patients with rectal cancer may undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiation even in early stages in an attempt to achieve complete clinical response and undergo organ preservation. However, prediction of tumor response is unavailable. In this setting, accurate identification of poor responders could spare patients with early stage disease from potentially unnecessary chemoradiation.

Achieving a Complete Clinical Response After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation That Does Not Require Surgical Resection: It May Take Longer Than You Think!

Background: Patients with rectal cancer who achieve complete clinical response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation have been managed by organ-preserving strategies and acceptable long-term outcomes. Controversy still exists regarding optimal timing for the assessment of tumor response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the time interval for achieving complete clinical response using strict endoscopic and clinical criteria after a single neoadjuvant chemoradiation regimen.

Organ Preservation Among Patients With Clinically Node-Positive Rectal Cancer: Is It Really More Dangerous?

Background: Select patients with complete clinical response to chemoradiation have been managed without radical surgery. The presence of radiologic evidence of nodal metastases at baseline could be a risk factor for local tumor regrowth, more advanced stage at the time of recurrence, and worse distant metastases-free survival.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients with baseline node-positive and node-negative cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation and complete clinical response managed nonoperatively.

Characterization of oncogene suppressor marker expression in patients with submucosal gastric carcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical significance of p53 and p21 p21, p27 and p16 expression in cases of early gastric cancer. A total of 81 patients who had undergone gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy between 1971 and 2004 were retrospectively investigated. The immunohistochemical expression of p21, p53, p21, p27 and p16 in the tissues was evaluated.

Effect of Akt activation and experimental pharmacological inhibition on responses to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is one of the preferred initial treatment strategies for locally advanced rectal cancer. Responses are variable, and most patients still require surgery. The aim of this study was to identify molecular mechanisms determining poor response to CRT.