Pre-treatment evaluation
PRIMARY TUMOR, DISEASE, LYMPH NODE METASTASIS
Pre-treatment evaluation included the following: general conditions; blood test to determine the adequacy of hepatic, renal and bone marrow function; electrocardiography; chest radiography or chest and abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) to establish the disease stage; and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), colonoscopy and digital rectal examination for evaluation of the primary tumor. Additionally, 2-deoxy-2[F-18]-fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography was performed where needed to establish the disease stage. Clinical lymph node metastasis was defined when a lymph node was observed to have a short axis diameter of ≥ 10 mm on CT and MRI images.