Tolerability of total neoadjuvant therapy in elderly patients with locally advanced rectal cancer: A retrospective study
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Abstract
Treating locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) in elderly patients is challenging. This retrospective descriptive study aimed to evaluate the tolerability of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) in this patient group at Hanoi Medical University Hospital. The study was conducted on 38 patients aged ≥ 65 years old with stage II–III rectal cancer treated with TNT from December 2020 to April 2026. The mean age was 67.89 years old, and males accounted for 73.7%. All patients had good performance status (ECOG 0–1) and completed the full treatment course. During the chemotherapy phase, leukopenia was the most common toxicity (47.4%, with grade 3–4 accounting for 15.8%), while non-hematologic toxicities were predominantly grade 1–2. During the chemoradiotherapy phase, side effects were mild (grade 1–2), including dermatitis (15.8%) and anorectal pain (13.6%); no grade 3–4 toxicities were recorded. TNT was well tolerated in elderly LARC patients, with toxicities being mostly mild and manageable.
Article Details
Keywords
Rectal cancer, total neoadjuvant therapy, elderly patients, treatment tolerability, chemoradiotherapy
References
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