Role of neoadjuvant therapy in lymph node and primary rectal tumor regression and prognosis

Rectal tumors are important malignancies and prediction of prognosis after neoadjuvant therapy is important to improve the prognosis process. The purpose of this study was to determine therole ofneoadjuvant therapy in lymph node regression and primary rectal tumor as well as its association with prognosis. In this descriptive study, 40 consecutive patients with rectal tumorswho were referredtoTaleghani Hospital for surgery from 2011 to 2018 were enrolled. Moreover, theneoadjuvant therapy role in lymph node regression and the primary rectal tumor was determined as well as its association with prognosis.The results of this study demonstrate that there was no tumor regression in 20% of patients and it wasalso less than 25%, 25-50%, 50-75%, and complete in 22.5%, 35%, 20%, and 2.5% of the patients,respectively. The lymph node regression was complete in 5% of the patients and it wasalso less than 25% in 20% and more than 25% in 50% of them. In addition, it was no regression in 25% of the patients. The lymph node regression was related to N stage (P=0.018), primary tumor regression grade (P=0.001), yPT (P=0.008), and yPN (P=0.020); however, it was not related to prognosis (P > 0.05).Totally, according to the obtained results, it can be concluded thatneoadjuvant therapy plays a good role in lymph node regression and primary rectal tumor, but it has no association with prognosis.