The predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/CT for assessing pathological response and survival in locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy

Purpose To evaluate whether metabolic changes in the primary tumour during and after preoperative radiochemotherapy (RCT) can predict the histopathological response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer as well as disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).