The British journal of surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Short-course radiotherapy with consolidation chemotherapy versus conventionally fractionated long-course chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: randomized clinical trial.
The trial hypothesis was that, in a resource-constrained situation, short-course radiotherapy would improve treatment compliance compared with conventional chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer, without compromising oncological outcomes. ⋯ Reduced treatment delays and a higher rate of compliance were observed with treatment for short-course radiotherapy with consolidation chemotherapy, with no difference in early oncological surgical outcomes. In time- and resource-constrained rectal cancer units in developing countries, short-course radiotherapy should be the standard of care.