Table 2.
Baseline, surgical and pathological characteristics of eligible patients
| pCT− (n = 154) |
pCT+ (n = 184) |
P value pCT+ versus pCT− | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 0.68 | ||
| Male | 107 (70) | 124 (67) | |
| Female | 47 (31) | 60 (33) | |
| Age (years) | 0.66a | ||
| Mean (SD) | 60 (10) | 61 (10) | |
| ECOG at baseline | 0.30 | ||
| 0 | 126 (82) | 142 (77) | |
| 1 | 28 (18) | 42 (23) | |
| High-risk criteriab | |||
| cT4 | 34 (22) | 65 (35) | 0.008 |
| cN2 | 103 (67) | 131 (71) | 0.39 |
| Enlarged lateral nodes | 20 (13) | 30 (16) | 0.39 |
| EMVI+ | 34 (22) | 80 (44) | <0.0001 |
| MRF+ | 98 (64) | 134 (73) | 0.07 |
| Number of high-risk criteria | <0.0001 | ||
| 1 | 67 (44) | 39 (21) | |
| 2 | 54 (35) | 63 (34) | |
| 3 | 21 (14) | 58 (32) | |
| 4 | 9 (6) | 19 (10) | |
| 5 | 3 (2) | 5 (3) | |
| Distance from anal verge (cm) | 0.15c | ||
| <5 | 52 (34) | 46 (25) | |
| 5-10 | 50 (33) | 69 (38) | |
| ≥10 | 52 (34) | 69 (38) | |
| Type of approach | <0.0001 | ||
| Laparoscopic | 97 (63) | 59 (32) | |
| Open | 44 (29) | 114 (62) | |
| Laparoscopic → open | 13 (8) | 11 (6) | |
| Type of resection | 0.050 | ||
| Anterior resection, PME | 6 (4) | 23 (13) | |
| LAR, TME | 83 (54) | 90 (49) | |
| APR, TME | 58 (38) | 65 (35) | |
| Hartmann’s procedure | 5 (3) | 5 (3) | |
| Other | 2 (1) | 1 (1) | |
| Radicality of resection | 0.001 | ||
| R0 >1 mm | 148 (96) | 157 (85) | |
| R1 ≤1 mm | 6 (4) | 27 (15) | |
| pCR | 0.51 | ||
| No | 130 (84) | 160 (87) | |
| Yes | 24 (16) | 24 (13) | |
| Differentiation grade | 0.031c | ||
| Well + moderate | 104 (68) | 132 (72) | |
| Poor | 11 (8) | 15 (8) | |
| No tumour | 32 (21) | 26 (14) | |
| Unknown | 7 (5) | 11 (6) | |
| Pathological T stage | 0.018 | ||
| ypT0 | 32 (21) | 26 (14) | |
| ypTis | 1 (1) | — | |
| ypT1 | 7 (5) | 9 (5) | |
| ypT2 | 43 (28) | 36 (20) | |
| ypT3 | 62 (40) | 99 (54) | |
| ypT4 | 9 (6) | 14 (8) | |
| Pathological N stage | 0.31 | ||
| ypN0 | 106 (69) | 118 (64) | |
| ypN1 | 32 (21) | 41 (22) | |
| ypN2 | 16 (10) | 25 (14) |
Data are presented as n (%). Percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding. Bold values represent statistically significant differences.
APR, abdominoperineal resection; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; EMVI, extramural vascular invasion; LAR, low anterior resection; MRF, mesorectal fascia; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; pCR, pathological complete response; pCT−, no hospital policy for post-operative chemotherapy (pCT) and did not receive pCT; pCT+, hospital policy for pCT and received pCT; PME, partial mesorectal excision; SD, standard deviation; TME, total mesorectal excision.
Calculated with independent sample t-test.
MRI defined.
P value calculated over the known values.