Randomized Trial of Postoperative Adjuvant Therapy in Stage II and III Rectal Cancer to Define the Optimal Sequence of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy: 10-Year Follow-Up

After the long-term follow-up duration, this study failed to show a statistically significant DFS advantage for early radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy after resection of Stage II and III rectal cancer. Our results, however, suggest that if neoadjuvant chemoradiation is not given before surgery, then early postoperative chemoradiation should be considered for patients requiring an abdominoperineal resection.