
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This trial is to find out the best time to have surgery after having radiotherapy, or chemoradiation, for cancer of the back passage (rectum).
Doctors often treat rectal cancer with radiotherapy, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (chemoradiation), before surgery. This is to shrink the cancer. After the treatment has worked, about 6 to 8 weeks later, they operate to remove the remaining cancer.
We know from research that radiotherapy and chemoradiation may carry on working for longer than 6 to 8 weeks. So the cancer could get smaller if we waited a bit longer. If this happens then people could have a smaller operation. But the researchers are not sure how long after they can wait to get the best results from the radiotherapy or chemoradiation.
The aim of this trial is to compare the size of the cancer
You can enter this trial if
You cannot enter this trial if you
This trial will recruit 218 people. Everyone taking part in this trial will have radiotherapy, or chemoradiation, before surgery.
It is a randomised trial. You will be put into a 1 of 2 groups by a computer. Neither you nor your doctor can choose which group you are in. The 2 groups are
Before having radiotherapy or chemoradiation, everyone will have an MRI scan and another 6 weeks after completing their treatment. This is standard care. Where available you will also have a PET scan at these times as part of the study.
If you are in the 6 weeks group, you then have surgery.
If you are in the 12 weeks group and the 6 week scan shows your cancer has continued to grow you then have surgery.
If you are in the 12 weeks group and the 6 week scan shows your cancer has not grown, you have another scan after another 4 weeks and then surgery 2 weeks later.
After surgery you will attend follow up appointments in the out patients clinic in the usual way. You will have an appointment with the trial team once a year for 5 years, so they can see how you are.
If you have surgery 12 weeks after radiotherapy or chemoradiation, there is a small chance that your cancer may start to grow again while you are waiting. Your doctor will look at a scan of your cancer 6 weeks after your radiotherapy or chemoradiation. If your doctor is at all concerned, he or she will discuss earlier surgery with you.
There is a small amount of radioactivity in the tracer injection for the PET-CT scan. But this shouldn’t cause any side effects or lasting effects.
You can find more about radiotherapy, chemoradiation, surgery for rectal cancer and PET-CT scan on CancerHelp UK.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Diana Tait
Biomedical Research Centre
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
Royal College of Surgeons of England
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”