Implications of Pathologic Complete Response in Rectal Cancer Therapy

A recent study on locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) suggests that pathologic complete response (pCR) after total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) does not guarantee improved overall survival (OS). Although TNT increases pCR rates, patients achieving pCR through neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) alone demonstrated better OS. This finding underscores the prognostic significance of the treatment route in managing LARC. Therefore, clinicians should consider the neoadjuvant therapy pathway critically when planning treatment strategies. For comprehensive details, access the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-024-15469-5