Tumor Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy for Rectal Adenocarcinoma Is Mediated by p53-Dependent and Caspase 8-Dependent Apoptotic Pathways

The present study highlights a possible mechanism for tumor response to neoadjuvant manipulation, namely that dual mechanisms for apoptotic cell death are working in concert to cause tumor regression; one is p53 transcription-dependent, and the other is p53 transcription-independent.