Survival outcomes and pathologic complete response following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in locally advanced rectal cancer

This large-scale analysis demonstrates comparable overall survival and pCR rates between nCRT and nCT alone in carefully selected with LARC patients, supporting the growing evidence for selective radiation omission strategies. These findings align with those of contemporary de-escalation trials and suggest that nCT alone may be a viable treatment option for specific patient subgroups. Future prospective studies incorporating quality of life assessments and long-term functional outcomes are essential to optimize personalized treatment strategies and refine patient selection criteria for radiation de-escalation in LARC management.