Moderately Low Alpha/Beta Ratio for Rectal Cancer May Best Explain the Outcome of Three Fractionation Schedules of Preoperative Radiotherapy

Although because of the retrospective character of the study, nonrandomized selection of fractionation schedule, and uncontrolled quality of surgery the present results can be regarded as hypothesis generating only, the control rates obtained in the pelvis are consistent with a moderately low α/β ratio for rectal cancer.