Optimal Timing of Surgical Resection After Radiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Adenocarcinoma: An Analysis of the National Cancer Database

Background In the treatment of rectal cancer, a longer radiation-surgery interval from the end of neoadjuvant radiation therapy to surgery has been associated with higher rates of complete pathologic response (pCR), but the optimal interval with respect to survival has not been established. Data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) was used to evaluate the impact of radiation-surgery interval on oncologic outcomes.