Preoperative chemoradiation for locally advanced rectal cancer with capecitabine 2,000 mg/m²/day

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the efficacy and the tolerability of preoperative chemoradiation with high dose Capecitabine. Material and Method: Fifteen patients with locally advanced resectable rectal cancer were treated with Capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2/day, orally 7 days/week concurrent with whole pelvic irradiation 45 Gy in 25 fractions/5 weeks. Patients underwent surgery in the following 4-6 weeks. Results: After complete treatment, 11 patients (73%) underwent surgery. Ten patients (66%) had sphincter preservative surgery; three of them had primary tumors located in the lower rectum. Five patients had grade 2 and one patient had grade 3 diarrhea. No grade 4 toxicity was reported. Conclusion: Preoperative Capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2/day concurrent with whole pelvic irradiation were effective and well tolerated. The potential dose limiting toxicity effect was the diarrhea.