Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40108482›Full record

ArticleJournal of the National Cancer Institute2025

Utilizing Patient Input in Rectal Cancer Trial Design.

Janet Alvarez, Wini Zambare, Manju George, Reese Garcia, Phuong Gallagher, Caleah Kitchens, Aron Bercz, Min Jung Kim, Paul B Romesser, Andrea Cercek and 17 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

27 authors.

Janet AlvarezMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-7853-959X
Wini ZambareMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-7063-0700
Manju GeorgeCOLONTOWN/Paltown Development Foundation, Crownsville, MD, United States.
Reese GarciaFightCRC Patient Education and Research, Springfield, MO, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8145-1273
Phuong GallagherFightCRC Patient Education and Research, Springfield, MO, United States.ORCID 0009-0001-2059-5940
Caleah KitchensMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0009-0001-6183-3992
Aron BerczMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
Min Jung KimMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-3105-9633
Paul B RomesserMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8268-2903
Andrea CercekMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-5054-8192
Julio Garcia-AguilarMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
Hanna SanoffDivision of Oncology, The Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8679-4486
Thomas J GeorgeDivision of Hematology & Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-6249-9180
Theodore S HongGastrointestinal Service, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8481-6581
Greg YothersNRG Oncology, Philadelphia, PA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-7965-7333
Philip A PhilipSouthwest Oncology Group (SWOG), Portland, OR, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-6513-3491
Tareq Al BaghdadiDepartment of Hematology & Oncology, Trinity Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
Olatunji B AleseDepartment of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8079-4725
Ardaman ShergillDepartment of Hematology & Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-0675-7760
Eileen M O'ReillyMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-8076-9199
Jeffrey A MeyerhardtAlliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Chicago, IL, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-1120-0898
Natally HorvatMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8849-5789
Arvind DasariSouthwest Oncology Group (SWOG), Portland, OR, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-5271-9744
William A HallNRG Oncology, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Qian ShiDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-4640-8832
Deborah SchragMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-4334-5717
J Joshua SmithMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-2538-5456

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI Nicholas D Socci · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
SURGICAL ONCOLOGY RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAMT32CA009501 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI Babak J Mehrara · 1985 to 2026
$7.7M
Expansion of Tumoroid Models for Precise Treatment of the Rectal Cancer PatientR37CA248289 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Jesse Joshua Smith · 2020 to 2026
$4.3M
Investigating the contribution of cellular senescence to the efficacy of radiation therapy.K08CA255574 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH · PI ROMESSER, PAUL BERNARD · 2021 to 2025
$1.2M
NCI-sponsored Clinical Trial Research SpecialistR50CA281930 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI Thomas J. George · 2023 to 2026
$461k
AstraZenencaMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's core resourcesNational Cancer Institute Cancer Center P30CA008748National Cancer Institute Diversity Supplement to "Expansion of Tumoroid Models for Precise Treatment of the Rectal Cancer Patient" R37CA248289National Cancer Institute Surgical Oncology T32 Research Training T32CA009501-34NCI NIH HHS K08 CA255574NCI NIH HHS K08CA255574NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748NCI NIH HHS R37 CA248289NCI NIH HHS R37CA248289NCI NIH HHS R50 CA281930NCI NIH HHS T32 CA009501NIH HHS
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer now includes "watch-and-wait" (WW) management for patients who exhibit a clinical complete response (cCR) to total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT). We assessed patients' knowledge and preferences regarding WW with the goal of incorporating patient input into clinical trial design.

methodsRectal cancer patients in advocacy groups (COLONTOWN/Rectalburgh and Fight CRC) were surveyed regarding perceptions about treatment strategies, tolerable risks of treatment failure, and preferences on clinical trial design. Surveys were initially distributed in 2019, with the shift toward WW prompting re-survey of select questions in 2023.

resultsAll respondents preferred enrollment in trials that incorporated patient input. Most respondents (76%) preferred treatment that incorporated chemotherapy escalation over radiation escalation. Furthermore, when presented with a hypothetical patient who developed a cCR after chemoradiation (without the option for WW), 58% of patients chose surgical treatment (with 100% risk of permanent ostomy and 80% chance of cure) over omission of surgery (with <80% chance of cure). In contrast, when the hypothetical patient developed a cCR after TNT (with an option for WW), 82% of patients opted for selective WW over surgery.

conclusionsThis work successfully integrated patient advocacy groups as a resource for obtaining patient input. Surveys revealed patients had a strong preference for chemotherapy escalation, for selective WW when offered, and for incorporation of input into future clinical trial design. These findings describe how well-informed patients approach complex medical decision-making and serve as a starting point for future studies seeking to incorporate patient voices.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicPatient ParticipationPatient PreferenceRectal NeoplasmsResearch DesignWatchful WaitingAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoadjuvant TherapySurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID40108482
PMCPMC12229457

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.