Pathologic Response Predicts Rectal Cancer Survival

Rectal cancer patients who achieved pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant therapy had improved survival compared to those with residual carcinoma in situ. Factors associated with decreased survival included older age, higher comorbidity score, and poorly differentiated tumors, while factors linked to improved survival were female gender, private insurance, and receiving both neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical stage did not significantly impact survival in this cohort, warranting further prospective trials.