Background: Tumor deposits (TDs) are associated with adverse prognostic factors and decreased survival in colon cancer. However, there is no information of their survival impact in rectal cancer with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (n-CRT).
Methods: Retrospective study in 223 patients with rectal cancer with n-CRT. A survival analysis of factors associated with decreased overall survival (OS) including TDs was performed.
Results: From 223 patients, 131 (58.7%) were men, mean age 59.8 (± 13.06) years, and 42 (18.8%) of them revealed TDs. Survival analysis of TDs showed no association with mortality. Factors associated with decreased 5-year OS were the histologic grade (p = 0.42), perineural invasion (p = 0.001), and mesorectal quality (p = 0.067). Perineural invasion (HR = 2.335, 95% CI = 1.198-4.552) remained as independent factor in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusions: TDs were not associated with mortality in rectal cancer patients treated with n-CRT. Factors associated with decreased survival were inadequate mesorectal quality and perineural invasion.
Keywords: Mesorectum; Mortality; Rectal adenocarcinoma; Survival; Tumor deposits.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.