Background. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision is standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer. This approach, however, focuses on local disease control and delays systemic treatment. Induction chemotherapy has the advantage of earlier administration of systemic therapy and may improve distant control. The objective of the current study was to assess the efficacy and toxicity of adding bevacizumab to induction chemotherapy followed by preoperative bevacizumab-based chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

CTC detection was not associated with worse DFS and OS in patients with stage III CRC. Given the scarcity of CTC in these patients, it is likely that CTC determined by CellSearch system does not have a prognostic role in this setting. However, a longer follow-up is needed.

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Between 1982 and 1990, 2388 brochoscopic examinations were carried out in patients with cancer in our hospital. A diagnosis of endobronchial metastasis was established in 30 patients (2.09 %), with the following primary tumors in descending order of frequency: breast, large bowel, melanoma, neuroblastoma, leiomyosarcoma and endometrial. Despite the rarity of endobronchial metastases secondary to colon adenocarcinoma, we were able to study 3 cases from our Center. In one case the diagnosis of endobronchial metastasis was simultaneous with that of the primary tumor, and in the other 2 this metastatic complication occurred 16 and 42 months, after the original diagnosis. When this complication occurred, the stage of the disease was advanced in all 3 cases: 2 were Dukes’ stage C and one stage D. Although this metastatic location usually implies a very negative prognosis as regards life expectancy, it did not seem to significantly reduce the latter in our patients.

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