LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF PATIENTS WITH UNRESECTABLE COLORECTAL CANCER TREATED WITH NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY

Objective: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased the percentage of patients with initially unresectable metastases who later become candidates for surgical resection. We examined the clinical outcome of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in terms of both the possibility of metastatic resection and survival. Method: Retrospective cross-sectional study. 130 patients with CRC treated between 2004 and 2006 at a third level teaching hospital. Results: Metastases were initially resectable in 10 patients, and unresectable in 100. After administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy it was possible to perform metastatic resection in 19. Median survival time was of 36 months. There were significant differences in survival time between patients who underwent metastatic resection and those who did not. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was found to be effective in patients with disseminated CRC: it reduced the extent of metastases, rendered initially unresectable metastases susceptible to subsequently surgical resection and improved survival.