Background: In rectal cancer, the standard of care after the completion of radiotherapy is surgery at 6 to 8 weeks. However, there is variation regarding the timing of surgery.
Objective: This investigation aimed to audit the timing of surgery following radiotherapy and to compare perioperative morbidity and tumor downstaging in patients operated on, before and after the 6- to 8-week window.
Design: A retrospective review of rectal cancers treated preoperatively in our cancer network over a 27-month period. The effect of "time till surgery" of 6 to 8 weeks, <6 weeks, and >8 weeks on T downstaging and nodal downstaging was calculated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Setting: This study was conducted in an oncology tertiary referral center in the Southwest London Cancer Network.
Patients: Patients receiving preoperative radiotherapy for primary locally advanced rectal cancer undergoing subsequent surgical resection were eligible.
Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measurement was time to surgery following the completion of (chemo) radiotherapy. Thirty-day perioperative morbidity and mortality and tumor and nodal downstaging were examined according to the timing of surgery.
Limitations: This study was limited by its nonrandomized retrospective design and the lack of standardization of preoperative chemotherapy.
Results: Thirty-two (34%) patients underwent surgery at 6 to 8 weeks, 45 (47%) at >8 weeks, and 18 (19%) at <6 weeks after radiotherapy. Delay was attributed to scheduling in 87% of cases and to comorbidities in the remainder. T downstaging occurred in 6 (33.3%) patients in the <6 weeks group, in 12 (37.5%) in the 6 to 8 weeks group, and in 28 (62.2%) in >8 weeks group with no significant differences in perioperative morbidity. On multivariate analysis, T downstaging was significantly greater for the >8 weeks group (OR, 3.79; 95% CI: 1.11-12.99; P = .03). More patients were staged ypT0-T2, 19 of 45 (42%) in the >8 weeks group vs other groups, 14 of 50 (28%, P < .05).
Conclusions: Following radiotherapy, surgery frequently occurs at >8 weeks and is associated with increased downstaging. The consequences on survival and perioperative morbidity warrant further investigation.