Table 1.
Relevance of the time interval from short-course RT to surgery with level of evidence.
| Interval (from the last 5 Gy fraction) | Surgical morbidity | Tumor regression | Oncologic outcome | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 days (reference) | Known (limited) | Ib | 0 | I | Known (50–70% reduction in LR) | I |
| 5–~15 days | Increased | III | Detectable | III | Likely the same | III |
| 20+ daysa | Known (limited) | II | Yes, pCR 10–15% | I | Not yet known, the Stockholm III trial may give information | IV |
Late toxicity from short-course RT will likely be the same irrespective of the time interval.
aNo information about surgical morbidity or tumor regression is available if the interval is only 3–6 weeks or longer.
bLevel of scientific evidence according to GRADE (Roman numbers, I–IV where I = high quality, II = moderate quality, III = low quality, and IV = very low quality) (60).