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Purpose: To examine the relationship between patient characteristics and the use of adjuvant pelvic radiation with and without chemotherapy among patients aged 65 years and older with stage II and III rectal cancer., Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database identified 1,411 patients aged 65 and older with resected stage II and III rectal cancers diagnosed between 1992 and 1996. From claims submitted to Medicare, we measured the use of pelvic radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy and pre- or postoperatively., Results: Fifty-seven percent of patients received radiation, 42% received chemotherapy and radiation, and 7% had treatment delivered preoperatively. Age was the strongest determinant of treatment: 73% of patients aged 65 to 69, 66% aged 70 to 75, 52% aged 75 to 79, 39% aged 80 to 84, and 21% aged 85 to 89 received radiation. The age trend remained strong after adjusting for other factors that predict receipt of treatment and after exclusion of patients with any evident comorbidity (P <.001). Patients were more likely to receive radiation treatment if they had an abdominal perineal resection, stage III disease, or a T4 tumor., Conclusion: Because pelvic recurrences are a substantial cause of morbidity, further efforts are needed to ensure that elderly patients have the opportunity to make informed decisions regarding adjuvant treatment.

Purpose: A Patterns of Care Study examined the records of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) treated with radiation in 1992 through 1994 to determine the national practice processes of care and outcomes and to compare the results with those of clinical trials., Patients and Methods: A national survey of 63 institutions was conducted using two-stage cluster sampling, and specific information was collected on 400 patients with squamous cell (62%) or adenocarcinoma (37%) of the thoracic esophagus who received radiation therapy (RT) as part of primary or adjuvant treatment. Patients were staged according to a modified 1983 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system. Fifteen percent of patients had clinical stage (CS) I disease, 40% had CS II disease, and 30% had CS III disease. Twenty-six percent of patients underwent esophagectomy. Seventy-five percent of patients received chemotherapy; 84% of these received concurrent chemotherapy and radiation (CRT)., Results: Significant variables for overall survival in multivariate analysis include the use of esophagectomy (risk ratio [RR] = 0.62), the use of chemotherapy (RR = 0.63), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) greater than 80 (RR = 0.61), CS I or II disease (RR = 0.66), and facility type (RR = 0.72). Age, sex, and histology were not significant. Preoperative CRT resulted in a nonsignificantly higher 2-year survival rate compared with definitive CRT alone (63% v 39%; P =.11), whereas 2-year survival by planned treatment rather than treatment given was 47.7% for preoperative CRT and 35.4% for definitive CRT (P =.23). Definitive CRT compared with definitive RT alone resulted in significantly higher 2-year survival (39% v 20.6%; P =.027) and lower 2-year local regional failure (30% v 57.9%; P =. 0031)., Conclusion: This study confirms the value of CRT in EC treatment. It indicates that the results obtained in practice settings nationwide are similar to those obtained in clinical trials and that KPS and the 1983 clinical staging system are useful prognostic indicators. The suggested value of esophagectomy and superiority of preoperative CRT over CRT alone in this study should be tested in a randomized trial.

Objective: To determine the most effective, evidence-based, postoperative surveillance strategy for the detection of recurrent colon and rectal cancer. Tests are to be recommended only if they have an impact on the outcomes listed below., Potential Intervention: All tests described in the literature for postoperative monitoring were considered. In addition, the data were critically evaluated to determine the optimal frequency of monitoring., Outcomes: Outcomes of interest included overall and disease-free survival, quality of life, toxicity reduction, and cost-effectiveness. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Colorectal Cancer Surveillance Expert Panel was guided by the principle of cost minimization, ie, when two strategies were believed to be equally effective, the least expensive test was recommended., Evidence: A complete MEDLINE search was performed of the past 20 years of the medical literature. Keywords included colorectal cancer, follow-up, and carcinoembryonic antigen, as well as the names of the specific tests. The search was broadened by articles from the tumor marker ASCO panel literature search, as well as from bibliographies of selected articles., Values: Levels of evidence and guideline grades were rated by a standard process. More weight was given to studies that tested a hypothesis directly relating testing to one of the primary outcomes in a randomized design. BENEFITS/HARMS/COSTS: The possible consequences of false-positive and false-negative tests were considered in evaluating a preference for one of two tests that provide similar information. Cost alone was not a determining factor., Recommendations: The expert panel's recommended postoperative monitoring schema is discussed in this article., Validation: Five outside reviewers, the ASCO Health Services Research Committee, and the ASCO Board of Directors examined this document., Sponsor: American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Purpose: To determine the US national practice standards for patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum treated in radiation oncology facilities., Materials and Methods: A national survey of 57 institutions identified 507 eligible patients who received radiation therapy as a component of their treatment for rectal cancer. A stratified two-stage cluster sampling with simple random sampling at each stage for each stratum was used and on-site surveys were performed., Results: Of the 507 patients, 378 (75%) received postoperative therapy, 110 (22%) received preoperative therapy, 17 (2%) received both preoperative and postoperative therapy, and less than 0.5% received intraoperative radiation alone. To more accurately assess the utilization of modern radiation techniques as well as recommendations of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored, randomized, postoperative, adjuvant combined modality therapy rectal cancer trials into current practice, the analysis was limited to the 243 (48%) patients with tumor, node, and metastasis staging system classification T3 and/or N1-2M0 disease who underwent conventional surgery with negative margins. Although only 7% were treated on a clinical trial, 90% received chemotherapy for a median of 21 weeks. Most were treated with modern radiation treatment techniques. In contrast, techniques to identify and help exclude the small bowel from the radiation field were not routinely used., Conclusion: Despite the fact that only 7% of patients with T3 and/or N1-2M0 disease were treated on a clinical trial, such trials appear to have resulted in a positive influence on the standard of practice within the oncology community. Although there are still some deficiencies, the majority of these patients received combined modality therapy and were treated with modern radiation therapy techniques.

Purpose: To determine the preliminary acute toxicity and survival results of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemotherapy plus high-dose radiation therapy in patients with local/regional squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus., Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients with clinical stage T1-4N0-1M0 squamous cell carcinoma were entered onto the trial. Eight patients were declared ineligible after registration. Patients received three monthly cycles of fluorouracil (5-FU; 1,000 mg/m2/24hr for 5 days) and cisplatin (100 mg/m2 on day 1) (neoadjuvant segment) followed by two additional monthly cycles of 5-FU (1,000 mg/m2/24hr for 5 days) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2 on day 1) plus concurrent 64.8 Gy (combined modality segment)., Results: With a median follow-up of 15 months in surviving patients, the incidence of total grade 3+ toxicity during the neoadjuvant chemotherapy segment was 61%, and during the combined modality segment was 72%. Of the 33 patients who started radiation therapy, 91% were able to complete the full course. There were six deaths during treatment, five of which (11%), because of nadir sepsis and/or dehydration, were treatment-related. For the 37 eligible patients, the median disease-free survival duration was 9 months, and the overall median survival was 20 months., Conclusion: The preliminary analysis of this trial demonstrated that the incidence of grade 3+ toxicity was similar to that reported in the combined modality arm of the prior Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) intergroup esophageal trial RTOG 85-01. However, because of the increased incidence of treatment-related mortality, this treatment program will not be used as an experimental arm of intergroup trial INT 0123 (RTOG 94-05).

Purpose: To determine the relationship between acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity during the combined modality segment and the volume of small bowel in the pelvic radiation field in patients who receive either preoperative or postoperative therapy for rectal cancer., Patients and Methods: The patient population was derived from four consecutive phase I dose-escalation trials. Combined modality therapy included fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin ([LV] bolus daily x 5, days 1 and 29), and pelvic radiation., Results: Twenty patients who received postoperative therapy had a larger volume of small bowel in the pelvic radiation field as compared with 60 who received preoperative therapy (462 +/- 129 v 212 +/- 44 cm3, P = .002). The most significant relationship between acute GI toxicity and volume of small bowel was seen in 12 patients who were treated on the preoperative sequential low-dose LV trial, all of whom received the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of 5-FU. The volume of small bowel in patients who experienced grade 3+ toxicity was 731 +/- 274 cm3, as compared with 145 +/- 58 in those who experienced grade 0 to 2 toxicity (P = .005). Likewise, logistic regression analysis showed that 26 patients who received the MTD of 5-FU had the most significant association between GI toxicity and volume of small bowel (P = .036)., Conclusion: Our data suggest that the volume of small bowel in the pelvic radiation field may be dose-limiting in the delivery of high-dose 5-FU when combined with LV and radiation therapy.

Purpose: We compared the combined radiation therapy (RT) plus chemotherapy segments of two separate parallel phase I trials to determine if combined pelvic RT, fluorouracil (5-FU), and high-dose leucovorin (LV) had less acute toxicity when delivered preoperatively versus postoperatively in patients with rectal cancer., Patients and Methods: Patients with unresectable disease received preoperative RT plus LV and 5-FU followed by surgery and postoperative LV and 5-FU. Patients with resectable disease received identical doses, techniques, and schedules of RT and LV and 5-FU except all therapy was delivered postoperatively. On day 1, patients received LV and 5-FU times one cycle. RT began on day 8. A second cycle of LV and 5-FU was given concurrently with the fourth week of RT., Results: Although more patients (75% v 32%; P = .02) received the higher dose level of 5-FU (250 mg/m2), significantly fewer experienced acute grade 3 to 4 toxicity with preoperative versus postoperative therapy (13% v 48%; P = .045). There was no grade 3 to 4 myelosuppression in either group. The two grade 3 toxicities in the preoperative group were gastrointestinal. The grade 3 toxicities in the postoperative group included seven gastrointestinal and two genitourinary; four patients had a grade 4 toxicity., Conclusion: Given the high incidence of grade 3 to 4 toxicity also reported in the postoperative combined modality adjuvant randomized trials, future adjuvant trials should explore the preoperative approach.

Purpose: To determine if fluorouracil (5-FU) plus high-dose leucovorin (LV) enhances local response in patients receiving preoperative radiation therapy (RT) for adenocarcinoma of the rectum, we compared the degree of downstaging in patients receiving preoperative RT with or without chemotherapy., Patients and Methods: For this comparison, three groups of patients who were treated with identical doses and techniques of preoperative pelvic RT (total dose of 5,040 cGy) were examined. Group 1 included 20 patients with unresectable disease who received combined RT and LV/5-FU. Group 2 included 11 patients with unresectable disease who received preoperative RT. Group 3 included 21 patients with invasive, resectable, primary disease who received preoperative RT., Results: Patients with unresectable disease who received LV/5-FU had a higher rate of pathologic complete response (20% v 0%) and a lower incidence of positive nodes (30% v 64%) compared with those who did not receive chemotherapy. Even when the most favorable group of patients was included (group 3), patients who received LV/5-FU still had a higher complete response rate (20% v 6%) and a lower incidence of positive nodes (30% v 53%) compared with those who received RT without LV/5-FU. Of those patients with initially unresectable disease, the resectability rate was higher in those who received LV/5-FU compared with those who did not receive LV/5-FU (90% v 64%). Patients who received LV/5-FU experienced slightly more grade 1 to 2 fatigue, stomatitis, nausea, and grade 3 diarrhea, tenesmus, and dysuria., Conclusions: Despite the fact that patients who received chemotherapy (group 1) had more advanced disease compared with those with resectable disease (group 3), the addition of LV/5-FU increased the resectability and downstaging rates. The ultimate impact of a complete response as well as a decrease in the incidence of pelvic nodes on local control and survival remains to be determined. However, given the enhancement of down-staging in patients with unresectable rectal cancer, we are encouraged by the combined modality approach.

In an effort to determine the patterns of failure and survival of colon cancer, a retrospective review of 294 patients who underwent potentially curative surgery at the New England Deaconess Hospital (NEDH) was performed. For the entire group, the 5-year crude survival rate was 68% and the actuarial rate was 80%. Survival decreased with increasing bowel wall penetration by tumor and the presence of lymph node metastasis. Although survival varied with the tumor site, none of the differences was statistically significant. Other variables, including the grade of adenocarcinoma, size, and the type of surgery had a significant impact on survival. Patterns of failure, expressed as the actuarial incidence of first diagnosed failure at 5 years, were examined by stage and site. There was a trend toward increased failure with increasing bowel wall penetration by tumor and the presence of lymph node metastasis. Abdominal failure, either as the only site or as a component of failure, was the most common type of failure. When compared by site, patients with cecal carcinoma had a significantly lower incidence of local and distant failure than patients with disease in other selected sites. No differences in patterns of failure were seen in patients with carcinomas in the mobile sections of the colon compared with those who had disease arising in the nonmobile sections of the colon. These data may be useful in identifying those patients who might benefit most from adjuvant therapy.

A number of series have examined the influence of blood vessel invasion (BVI) by tumor on survival of patients with colorectal cancer; however, there are little data available regarding its influence on patterns of failure. In an effort to determine the influence of BVI on the patterns of failure and survival in colon cancer, a retrospective review of 294 patients who underwent potentially curative surgery at the New England Deaconess Hospital (NEDH) was performed. Patients whose tumors had BVI experienced a significant decrease in the 5-year actuarial survival rate. BVI had little impact on the patterns of failure in stage B2 disease, but a significant increase in total failure and local failure (as a component of failure) occurred in stage C2. However, when examined by proportional hazards analysis, BVI was found not to be an independent prognostic variable. For patients with stage C2 tumors, which are also BVI+, radiation therapy to the tumor bed might play a contributory role in overall management.