Patients with rectal cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy have an increased survival : a population-based longitudinal study

• BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III rectal cancer varies between regions and over time, and if this has had an effect on survival rates.PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients from the Uppsala/Örebro region below 75 years-of-age, operated 1995-2002 and registered in the Swedish Rectal Cancer Register, were monitored between 1995 and September 2008. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for analysis. Overall survival was described using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-six patients with stage III rectal cancer were included. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to 42% of the patients (proportions varying from 13% to 77% among counties), and there were substantial increases over time. The 5-year overall survival was 65.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 50-84] for patients having adjuvant chemotherapy compared with 45.6% (95% CI 39-52) for patients not treated with chemotherapy. The multivariate hazard ratio for death was 0.65 (95% CI 0.5-0.8) for patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.CONCLUSIONS: The use of adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer has increased, but varies considerably between hospitals/counties. In this cohort, those having adjuvant chemotherapy had a longer overall survival.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Farmakologi och toxikologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Pharmacology and Toxicology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

adjuvant

chemotherapy

rectal cancer

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)