Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics

Sex (N, %)

    Male

149 (71.0)

    Female

61 (29.0)

Median age (years, range)

56 (15–80)

Median CEA level prior to treatment (μg/L, range)

4.5 (0.2–249.6)

Median hemoglobin level prior to treatment (g/L, range)

128 (64–170)

Tumor location (N, %)

       Low-lying

130 (61.9)

       Middle-third

78 (37.1)

       Upper-third

2 (1.0)

Median distance btw anal verge and lower edge of tumor (cm, range)

5.0 (1.0–16.0)

Clinical stage mordalities (N, %)

    Transrectal ultrasonograpy

187 (89.0)

    CT

160 (76.2)

    MRI

21 (10.0)

Clinical T stage (N, %)

    T1

2 (1.0)

    T2

5 (2.4)

    T3

79 (37.6)

    T4

124 (59.0)

Clinical N stage (N, %)

    N0

69 (32.9)

    N1

58 (27.6)

    N2

83 (39.5)

Clinical TNM stage (N, %)

    IIA

31 (14.8)

    IIB

38 (18.1)

    IIIA

4 (1.9)

    IIIB

54 (25.7)

    IIIC

83 (39.5)

Concurrent chemotherapy regimen (N, %)

    FOLFOX

38 (18.1)

    XELOX/Xeloda

164 (78.1)

    Other regimen

8 (3.8)

Post-op adjuvant chemotherapy (N, %)

    Yes

155 (73.8)

    None

55 (26.2)

Post-op adjuvant chemotherapy regimen (N, %)

    FOLFOX

13 (6.2)

    XELOX/Xeloda

140 (66.7)

    N/A

2 (1.0)