Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40297574›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Comparison of immunotherapy based total neoadjuvant therapy or standard neoadjuvant chemoradiation for locally advanced rectal cancer: a multi-institutional retrospective study.

Wen Zhao, Wenxing Gao, Jitao Du, Dingchang Li, Xianqiang Liu, Zhengyao Chang, Peng Chen, Xu Sun, Yingjie Zhao, Hanqing Jiao and 2 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

12 authors.

Wen Zhao *School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Wenxing Gao *Department of General Surgery, the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Jitao Du *Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Dingchang LiDepartment of General Surgery, the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Xianqiang LiuDepartment of General Surgery, the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Zhengyao ChangDepartment of General Surgery, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Peng ChenDepartment of General Surgery, the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Xu SunSchool of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Yingjie ZhaoDepartment of General Surgery, the Eighth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Hanqing JiaoDepartment of General Surgery, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Xiangbin WanDepartment of General Surgery, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Guanglong DongSchool of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Combining radiation therapy with immunotherapy produces a synergistic effect in patients with microsatellite stable/mismatch repair-proficient (MSS/pMMR) locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes and safety of immunotherapy combined with long-course chemoradiotherapy (ICIs + nCRT) versus immunotherapy combined with total neoadjuvant therapy (ICIs + TNT). Methods: This retrospective study collected clinical data of adult patients with clinical T3-4 and/or N1 rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent ICIs + TNT or ICIs + nCRT followed by curative surgery at four medical centers between March 2020 and August 2021. The study compared clinical efficacy, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) at 3 years postoperatively, and adverse event. Results: Among 211 enrolled patients, 89 (42%) received ICIs + TNT, while 122 (58%) underwent ICIs + nCRT, with a median age of 56.0 years (range, 20.0-75.0 years). The ICIs + TNT group had a higher median number of resected lymph nodes (15.0 [range, 4.0-37.0] vs. 13.0 [range, 3.0-33.0], Conclusions: Overall, ICIs + TNT demonstrated therapeutic efficacy and a safety profile comparable to ICIs + nCRT in patients with LARC and MSS/pMMR status. Although ICIs + TNT achieved numerically higher downstaging rates, it was not associated with improved survival outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of refining patient selection criteria and making judicious treatment decisions to enhance the prognosis of individuals with rectal cancer.

Indexed as

AdenocarcinomaChemoradiotherapyImmunotherapyNeoadjuvant TherapyRectal NeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeYoung Adultdownstaginglocally advanced rectal cancerpathological complete responsesurvivaltotal neoadjuvant treatment

Identifiers

PMID40297574
PMCPMC12034688

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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.