Carmen J. Allegra, MD, Professor of Medicine and Chief of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Florida, Gainesville, who discussed the findings at the ASCO Annual Meeting, said the study upholds what has become the practice of many oncologists—to use adjuvant FOLFOX (fluorouracil/leucovorin/oxaliplatin) after potentially curative rectal surgery.

The finding that oxaliplatin adds benefit to fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant therapy for rectal cancer, at least in select patients, “is supported by extrapolation from the colon adjuvant data, which in turn is supported by the genetic similarities reported by The Cancer Genome Atlas,” he noted.

“This abstract is the first direct evidence for benefit associated with the use of oxaliplatin in the rectal adjuvant setting,” Dr. Allegra said, and further supports this clinical practice. ■

Disclosure: Dr. Allegra reported no potential conflicts of interest.