COMPARISON OF CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH STAGE I TO III COLORECTAL CANCER UNDERGOING NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and multimodal treatment, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy, is essential for the management of patients with stages I to III of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes in patients with stage I to III colorectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, through a randomized controlled trial. Parameters such as tumor response rates, local recurrence and overall survival were analyzed, considering different neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens. The results showed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy, when combined with targeted therapies or immunotherapy, significantly improved clinical outcomes, reducing the rate of local recurrence and increasing overall survival. In addition, a difference in tumor response rates was observed between treatment regimens, suggesting that treatment personalization is crucial to optimize results. These findings emphasize the importance of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the management of colorectal cancer and the need for continuous evaluation to improve therapeutic strategies.