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CompletedNCT05592873I-ONARCUpdated Oct 25, 2022

Oncological Impact of Lateral Nodes in Rectal Cancer

An observational study in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma, sponsored by Niguarda Hospital. Completed. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-10-25.

Sponsored by Niguarda Hospital · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Other
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
317
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The combination of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME) is considered the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer in the western world. Appropriate preoperative treatment and margin free surgery are key-elements in reducing the local-recurrence of the tumor and consequently improving overall survival.

Nevertheless, the local recurrence of stage II and III rectal cancer is still high, with current levels of 5% to 10% even when R0 resection is achieved. Most of the cases of loco-regional recurrence are associated with lateral lymph nodes (LLN) spread of cancer cells, which is not always controlled by the preoperative chemotherapy. As a matter of fact, the incidence of LLD metastases has been estimated to range from 11% to 22% in patients with T3/4 rectal cancer below the peritoneal reflection.

In order to improve these poor outcomes, Japanese surgeons have adopted extended lymphadenectomy with the dissection of lateral extramesorectal lymph nodes as the standard of care for T2-3 low rectal cancer patients5. While this approach is widely used in Japan and Korea, western surgeons have preferred a less aggressive approach, indicating lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) only in presence of clinically highly suspicious lateral pelvic lymph nodes on baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thus, it is essential to identify preoperative predictive factors of LLN metastasis.

Even if MRI is considered the optimal diagnostic tool in rectal cancer, its accuracy for LLN staging is considered poor, especially after neoadjuvant treatment. LLNs often change in both features and size after CRT, and this behaviour might not be in concordance with the response of the primary tumor.

To the best of our knowledge, no consensus exists on whether the risk of local recurrence should be determined by assessing the features of LLN on the primary MRI or on the restaging MRI. Moreover, the relation between LLN response and primary tumor regression grade after neoadjuvant CRT needs to be thoroughly explored.

This multicenter cohort study aimed to investigate factors on primary and restaging MRI associated with lateral nodal recurrence and to identify patients who may benefit from LLND after neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer.

Read the detailed description

The present is an international multicenter observational retrospective study. All consecutive patients admitted with a histologically confirmed locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma [clinical T3-T4N0M0 or T(any)N+M0] treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by curative intent elective surgery between January 2014 and December 2019 at four academic high-volume institutions: the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester (MN), USA; the Department of Visceral Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; the Division of Minimally-Invasive Surgery, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy, and the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano - Milan.

All included patients had a pelvic MRI at baseline and a second pelvic MRI after neoadjuvant CRT. Interpretation and reporting of MRI for baseline staging was performed through a structured report adopted by each center involved in the present study. All MRI reports were presented according to international standards and validated by board-certified specialized lower gastrointestinal radiologists.

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Conditions studied

  • Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

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Keywords

  • rectal cancer
  • cancer of rectum
  • rectal tumors
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In context

Rectal Neoplasms

1,762 studies on the registry are indexed under Rectal Neoplasms; 518 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 317 is above the median of 160 across 413 observational studies indexed under Rectal Neoplasms.

Browse Rectal Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Niguarda Hospital is the lead sponsor of 66 studies on the registry; 28 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

The study population includes patients diagnosed with rectal cancer locally advanced, subjected to Chemo-Radiotherapy and surgical treatment with intent curative between January 2013 and December 2019, in each of the Centers involved. The data they will be collected from medical records and institutional data collection and follow-up databases

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 18 years and older
  • Histological diagnosis of locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma [clinical T3-T4N0M0 or T(any)N+M0] treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by curative intent elective surgery

Esclusion criteria

  • No MRI or pathologic data
  • Histological diagnosis other than adenocarcinoma
  • Urgent or emergency surgery
  • Surgery without curative intent
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Study design

Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
317 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma

    Patients with histollogically confirmed locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma (clinical T3-T4N0M0 or T(any) N+M0) treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by curtive intent elective surgery.

    Drug: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT)

Interventions

  • DrugNeoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT)

    Patients with histological diagnosis of locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma \[clinical T3-T4N0M0 or T(any)N+M0\] were treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by curative intent elective surgery between January 2014 and December 2019.

    Also known as: Total mesorectal excision (TME)

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Lateral nodal recurrence

    Preoperative MRI feauteres assosiated with lateral nodal recurrence

    Time frame: 3 years

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Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 25, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05592873
Lead sponsor
Niguarda Hospital
Collaborators
Mayo Clinic
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 25, 2022
Start date
Jan 1, 2014
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2019
Completion
Sep 30, 2022
Last update
Oct 25, 2022

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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