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Gastrointestinal cancer

Which way is forward in the treatment of rectal cancer?

Preoperative 5-fluorouracil-based chemoradiation with optimal surgery provides very effective local control in locally advanced rectal cancer. Does adding oxaliplatin as a radiosensitizer provide any additional benefit? Is more always better?

Key Points

In standard practice there is no benefit from adding oxaliplatin as a radiosensitizer to 5-fluorouracil-based preoperative chemoradiaton in rectal cancer.

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Correspondence to Geerard L. Beets.

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Jansen, R., Beets, G. Which way is forward in the treatment of rectal cancer?. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 10, 12–13 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2012.217

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