http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2482-11-34
pubmed: 22171697
scopus: 84857993166
The CARTS study: Chemoradiation therapy for rectal cancer in the distal rectum followed by organ-sparing transanal endoscopic microsurgery
2011-12-16
Article
| Related Files |
|---|
View PDF Version
(fulltext.pdf, 0.3MB) |
Background: The CARTS study is a multicenter feasibility study, investigating the role of rectum saving surgery for distal rectal cancer. Methods/Design. Patients with a clinical T1-3 N0 M0 rectal adenocarcinoma below 10 cm from the anal verge will receive neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (25 fractions of 2 Gy with concurrent capecitabine). Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) will be performed 8 - 10 weeks after the end of the preoperative treatment depending on the clinical response. Primary objective is to determine the number of patients with a (near) complete pathological response after chemoradiation therapy and TEM. Secondary objectives are the local recurrence rate and quality of life after this combined therapeutic modality. A three-step analysis will be performed after 20, 33 and 55 patients to ensure the feasibility of this treatment protocol. Discussion. The CARTS-study is one of the first prospective multicentre trials to investigate the role of a rectum saving treatment modality using chemoradiation therapy and local excision. The CARTS study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01273051).
- rectal cancer
- rectal
- cancer
- patient
- surgery
- excision
- transanal endoscopic microsurgery
- netherland
- study
- treatment
- preoperative
- department
- committee
- member
- response
- chemoradiation
- tumour
- rectum
- neoadjuvant
- radboud university nijmegen
