The effect of preoperative chemoradiotherapy on lymph node harvest after total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate whether preoperative chemoradiotherapy reduces the number of lymph nodes harvested after total mesorectal excision of rectal cancer.

Methods: From January 1995 to December 2007, 168 consecutive patients with rectal cancer underwent total mesorectal excision in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the University of Crete. The patients were divided into three groups (Group A, no chemoradiotherapy; Group B, short course of chemoradiotherapy; Group C, long course of chemoradiotherapy).