Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40369294›Full record

Trial reportInternational journal of colorectal disease2025

Short-course versus long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer: long-term results of a randomized controlled trial.

Mahdi Aghili, Mohammad-Mahdi Aghaei, Romina Abyaneh, Mohammad Babaei, Farshid Farhan, Marzieh Lashkari, Borna Farazmand, Kasra Kolahdouzan, Guglielmo Niccolò Piozzi, Felipe Counago and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in International journal of colorectal disease, 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. Review
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

11 authors.

Mahdi AghiliRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad-Mahdi AghaeiRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Romina AbyanehRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad BabaeiRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Farshid FarhanRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Marzieh LashkariRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Borna FarazmandRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Kasra KolahdouzanRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Guglielmo Niccolò PiozziDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Portsmouth, UK.
Felipe CounagoDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Reza GhalehtakiRadiation Oncology Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, IKHC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. rghalehtaki@tums.ac.ir.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeShort-course radiotherapy (SCRT) and long-course radiotherapy (LCRT) are the primary neoadjuvant radiotherapy schedules for locally advanced rectal cancer. Recent research has questioned the efficacy of SCRT. This study presents an updated analysis of our previous research, extending the follow-up to evaluate 5-year outcomes by comparing the long-term results of these two strategies. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis randomized controlled trial compared SCRT and LCRT in locally advanced middle or high rectal adenocarcinoma. The SCRT group received 25 Gy/5 fractions over 1 week plus CAPOX, while the LCRT group received 50-50.4 Gy/25-28 fractions over 5-5.5 weeks plus capecitabine. All patients received consolidation chemotherapy and then underwent delayed surgery after 8 weeks or more post-radiotherapy. The endpoints of this updated analysis include overall survival (OS),disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM).

resultsNinety-nine cases (45 LCRT, 54 SCRT) were followed for a median of 4.7 years. Five-year OS rates were 77.3% for LCRT vs. 65.6% for SCRT group (P = 0.4). The 5-year DFS rates were 69.6% for LCRT vs. 54.9% for SCRT (P = 0.07). Cox regression indicated no prominent difference between the two groups regarding OS, LR, or DM. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significantly better DFS with LCRT compared to SCRT in male patients ([HR] = 2.48, 95%CI: 1.04-5.93, P = 0.03), patients under the age of 60 (HR = 3.19, 95%CI: 1.03-9.92, P = 0.04), and cT4 patients (HR not calculated: no events in LCRT group, P = 0.004).

conclusionDFS showed a trend in favor of the LCRT group, with LCRT being significantly superior among men, patients under 60, and cT4 stage. Despite being intensified, SCRT failed to achieve long-term outcomes comparable to LCRT. Further research is needed to compare these two approaches in the context of total neoadjuvant treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION DATA: IRCT2017110424266N3 (Registration date: 2017-11-12).  https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/20526 .

Indexed as

ChemoradiotherapyNeoadjuvant TherapyRectal NeoplasmsAdultAgedDisease-Free SurvivalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeLong-course radiotherapyNeoadjuvant chemoradiotherapyRectal cancerShort-course radiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID40369294
PMCPMC12078407

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Registered trials

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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.