Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40703667›Full record

ReviewClinical and translational radiation oncology2025

Radiotherapy boost to the primary tumour in locally advanced rectal cancer: Systematic review of practices and

Julien Pierrard, Lorraine Donnay, Alix Collard, Geneviève Van Ooteghem

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Clinical and translational radiation oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  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

4 authors.

Julien PierrardInstitut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Center of Molecular Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Lorraine DonnayDepartment of Radiation Oncology, CHU UCL Namur, Namur, Belgium.
Alix CollardStatistical Support Unit, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Geneviève Van OoteghemInstitut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Center of Molecular Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: In locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), increasing the complete response (CR) rate after total neo-adjuvant treatment may increase the patient eligibility for non-operative management ("watch and wait", W&W). Although a radiotherapy (RT) boost to the primary tumour may enhance CR rates, clear guidelines are currently lacking. This systematic review and Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, the terms "rectum," "radiotherapy," and "boost" were searched in PubMed and EMBASE (PROSPERO: CRD42023444685). Studies reporting on external beam RT boost to the primary tumour in LARC and meeting quality criteria were included. Descriptive analyses extracted data on RT technique, preparation, boost delineation, dose, chemotherapy, and follow-up. A mixed-effects Results: Out of 3904 references, 83 were included in the descriptive analysis and 78 in the Conclusion: While rectal RT boost is already part of real-world practices, the wide heterogeneity in techniques highlights the urgent need for standardisation. Our

Indexed as

Complete responseDose escalationLocally advanced rectal cancerMeta-analysisNeo-adjuvant therapyRectal boost

Identifiers

PMID40703667
PMCPMC12284667

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.