Total Neoadjuvant Therapy Enables Organ Preservation Without Compromising Distant Control in pMMR/MSS Stage II–III Rectal Cancer: Insights from the NO-CUT Trial

Highlight

– Total neoadjuvant therapy (CAPOX + chemoradiation) produced a clinical complete response (cCR) rate of 26% and enabled non‑operative management (watch‑and‑wait) in stage II–III pMMR/MSS rectal cancer.

– Among patients managed non‑operatively after cCR, 30‑month distant relapse‑free survival (dRFS) was 95% (95% CI 88–100), indicating no apparent compromise in distant disease control.