Delaying surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy improves prognosis of rectal cancer

Table 6 Studies comparing the effects of the interval periods between neoadjuvant therapy and surgery on oncological outcome in locally advanced rectal cancer

Ref.	Total no. of patients	Design	Interval time (wk)	pCR	Local recurrence	OS
Francois et al[6]	201	Prospective, randomized	2/6-8	7%/14%2	13%/10%2	69%/66%2
Wolthuis et al[20]	356	Retrospective	≤ 7/> 7	16%/28%2	6%/3%2	NA
Kalady et al[21]	306	Prospective	< 8/≥ 8	16.3%/28%2	NA	NA
Garcia-Aguilar et al[22]	136	Prospective, nonrandomized	6/11	18%/25%2	NA	NA
de Campos-Lobato et al[23]	177	Retrospective	< 8/≥ 8	16.5%/30.8%2	1.2%/10.5%2	NA
Tulchinsky et al[24]	132	Retrospective	≤ 7/> 7	17%/35%2	6%/4%1	81%/93%2
Sloothaak et al[25]	1593	Prospective	< 13/13-14/15-16	10%/13%/18%1	NA	NA
Saglam et al[31]	153	Prospective, randomized	4/8	19.7%/14.3%2	11.8%/10.3%2	76.5%/74.2%2
Rödel et al[36]	385	Prospective	> 6	10.4%	3%	85%
Kerr et al[42]	189	Retrospective	Median 76 d	15.9%	21%	NA
			(6-215 d)

¹Significant difference statistically;

²Not significant difference statistically. pCR: Pathological complete response; NA: Not available; OS: Overall survival.