Neoadjuvant Radiation Therapy Shows Marginal Impact on Outcomes of Mucinous Rectal Carcinoma

The impact of neoadjuvant radiation therapy on the outcomes of patients with stage II-III mucinous rectal carcinoma was assessed using data from the national cancer database. After propensity-score matching, it was found that patients who received neoadjuvant radiation therapy had marginal downstaging of the disease, fewer examined and positive lymph nodes, and similar overall survival compared to patients who did not undergo neoadjuvant radiation. However, there were no significant differences in short-term mortality, readmission, hospital stay, and positive surgical margins.