Preoperative Radiotherapy With or Without Concurrent Fluorouracil and Leucovorin in T3-4 Rectal Cancers: Results of FFCD 9203

Purpose In 1992, preoperative radiotherapy was considered in France as the standard treatment for T3-4 rectal cancers. The present randomized trial compares preoperative radiotherapy with chemoradiotherapy. Patients and Methods Patients were eligible if they presented a resectable T3-4, Nx, M0 rectal adenocarcinoma accessible to digital rectal examination. Preoperative radiotherapy with 45 Gy in 25 fractions during 5 weeks was delivered. Concurrent chemotherapy with fluorouracil 350 mg/m2/d during 5 days, together with leucovorin, was administered during the first and fifth week in the experimental arm. Surgery was planned 3 to 10 weeks after the end of radiotherapy. All patients should receive adjuvant chemotherapy with the same fluorouracil/leucovorin regimen. The primary end point of the trial was overall survival. Results A total of 733 patients were eligible. Grade 3 or 4 acute toxicity was more frequent with chemoradiotherapy (14.6% v 2.7%; P < .05). There was no difference in sphincter preservation...