An update of pharmacogenetic analysis of adjuvant rectal cancer patients treated with 5-fluorouracil and pelvic radiation in a phase III intergroup trial (INT-0144, SWOG 9304)

4115 Background: Clinical trials have shown postoperative chemoradiotherapy for adjuvant rectal cancer has improved overall survival and pelvic control. However, the efficacy of chemoradiation therapy may be significantly compromised as a result of individual variations in clinical response and host toxicity. In GI symposium 2008, we have reported our preliminary data suggesting COX-2, IL-8 and TS- 3’UTR gene polymorphisms may help to identify adjuvant rectal cancer patients who are more likely to experience longer survival. Here we explore whether gene-expression levels of genes involved in the critical pathways of cancer progression (i.e., drug metabolism (TS,TP,DPD,GSTP), tumor growth (COX-2, EGFR), angiogenesis (VEGF,IL-8), cell cycle regulation (CyclinD1,P53), and DNA repair (ERCC1,XPD)) may predict the clinical outcome in the same group of rectal cancer patients treated with 5-fluororacil and pelvic radiation. Methods: A total of 105 stage II/III rectal patients from a phase III trial (INT-0144, S93...