Preoperative FOLFOX in resectable locally advanced rectal cancer can be a safe and promising strategy: the R-NAC-01 study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the safety of rectal surgery after 5-fluorouracil-leucovorin-oxaliplatin chemotherapy (FOLFOX6).

Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter study in 11 Japanese hospitals. We included patients with rectal cancer who received 4 courses of modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) before rectal surgery and examined the postoperative complication rate, the clinicopathological response, and the rate of chemotherapy-related adverse events (UMIN 000012559).

Results: The study population included 36 men and 5 women. The average age of the patients was 60.8 years and the average body mass index was 23.1 kg/m. After 4 courses of chemotherapy, grade 2 peripheral nerve disorder and other grade 3 adverse events were seen in 3 patients each (7.3%). Twenty-eight (73.7%) and 8 (21.1%) patients underwent low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection, respectively. The pelvic nerves were preserved in 35 patients. Surgical morbidity (grade ≥ 3) occurred in 4 patients (10.5%). Anastomotic leakage occurred after surgery in 2 patients (7.1%). No patients achieved pathologically complete remission. However, downstaging of the clinical stage and N stage was seen in 17 (41.5%) and 22 (53.7%) patients, respectively.

Conclusions: Surgery after four courses of mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy can be a safe and promising strategy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.