Table 1 Cancer related characteristics in the study and control groups
|  | All patients % (n = 212) | Study group with neoadjuvant treatment % (n = 106) | Control group without neoadjuvant treatment % (n = 106) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Infiltration (pT) | Â | Â | Â | 0.02 |
 yT0 | 4.2 | 8.5 | 0 |  |
 (y) T1 | 7.5 | 5.7 | 9.8 |  |
 (y)T2 | 28.8 | 27.4 | 30.2 |  |
 (y)T3 | 53.3 | 54.7 | 51.9 |  |
 (y)T4 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 8.5 |  |
Lymph node metastasis (pN) | Â | Â | Â | 0.61 |
Number of nodes examined | 17.2 | 15.3 | 19.1 | <0.001 |
 (y)N0 | 51.4 | 52.8 | 50.0 |  |
 (y)N1 | 25.9 | 27.4 | 24.5 |  |
 (y)N2 | 22.6 | 19.8 | 25.5 |  |
UICC stage | Â | Â | Â | 0.31 |
 UICC 0 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 0 |  |
 UICC I | 27.4 | 24.5 | 30.2 |  |
 UICC II | 16.0 | 17.0 | 15.1 |  |
 UICC III | 31.1 | 31.1 | 31.1 |  |
 UICC IV | 23.6 | 23.6 | 23.6 |  |
R-Category (incl. UICC IV) | Â | Â | Â | 0.59 |
 R0 | 76.8 | 79.0 | 74.5 |  |
 R1 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 4.7 |  |
 R2 | 18.0 | 15.2 | 20.8 |  |
V-Category | Â | Â | Â | <0.01 |
 V0 | 71.1 | 81.0 | 61.3 |  |
 V1 | 23.7 | 15.2 | 32.1 |  |
 V2 | 5.2 | 3.8 | 6.6 |  |
L-Category | Â | Â | Â | 0.08 |
 L0 | 80.3 | 85.4 | 75.2 |  |
 L1 | 19.7 | 14.6 | 24.8 |  |
M-Category | Â | Â | Â | 1.00 |
 M0 | 77.4 | 77.4 | 77.4 |  |
 M1 | 22.6 | 22.6 | 22.6 |  |
G-Category | Â | Â | Â | 0.15 |
 G1 | 11.4 | 15.2 | 7.5 |  |
 G2 | 72.0 | 66.7 | 77.4 |  |
 G3 | 16.6 | 18.1 | 15.1 |  |
Response to neoadjuvant therapy | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 No response |  | 7.5 |  |  |
 Poor to moderate regression |  | 45.3 |  |  |
 Good regression |  | 39.6 |  |  |
 Complete regression |  | 7.5 |  |  |
Adjuvant postoperative Radio- chemotherapy (% and patients) | Â | Â | 52.9 (54 pts.) | Â |
Completing Chemotherapy after surgery (% and patients) | Â | 59.4 (60) | Â | Â |
Localization | Â | Â | Â | 0.70 |
 Upper Rectum | 4.8 | 3.8 | 5.7 |  |
 Middle Rectum | 41.9 | 40.4 | 43.4 |  |
 Lower Rectum | 53.3 | 55.8 | 50.9 |  |
Tumorheight (cm) | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 0.22 |