Revolutionary Treatment for Rectal Cancer Reduces Need for Surgery and Lowers Recurrence Risk
Written by Churnika Gudla
A new treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is showing promising results that may help patients avoid surgery and reduce the risk of recurrence, according to a recent study from Uppsala University, Sweden. The treatment, known as Total Neoadjuvant Treatment (TNT), combines short-course radiotherapy with rounds of chemotherapy to maximize its impact on the tumor before surgery.
TNT begins with radiotherapy, which precisely targets and shrinks the tumor, making it more vulnerable to subsequent chemotherapy. The chemotherapy then attacks both the primary tumor and any remaining microscopic cancer cells throughout the body. Administering chemotherapy before surgery ensures that patients receive the full course of treatment when they are most capable of tolerating it, increasing the likelihood of complete tumor eradication.
In a study involving 273 patients with high-risk LARC across 16 hospitals, researchers found that TNT doubled the rate of tumor disappearance compared to previous methods, increasing it from 14% to 28% without raising the recurrence rate. This breakthrough reduces the need for complicated bowel surgery, which often leads to significant complications like loss of bowel control or the necessity of a stoma.
As TNT becomes more widely adopted, it could transform rectal cancer care by offering a less invasive option that preserves the patient's quality of life while improving treatment outcomes globally.
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Written by Churnika Gudla from MEDILOQUY