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BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the long-term anorectal function and rectal toxicity in rectal cancer patients who achieved a clinical complete response (cCR) to total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) and were managed with a watch-and-wait (W 17.1% (12/70) of patients had minor LARS and 15.7% (11/70) had major LARS. The median Wexner score was 2 (IQR 0-3). The median MSKCC BFI total score was 82.5 (IQR 77-86). Smoking history was an independent risk factor for long-term anorectal dysfunction odds ratio (OR) 6.562, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.561-27.590. CONCLUSION: Most rectal cancer patients under a W&W strategy after TNT sustain acceptable anorectal function, though fecal urgency remains a common issue. Smoking history emerged as a significant risk factor for anorectal dysfunction. Larger prospective studies focusing on bowel function are needed.
Xu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.