Fig. 4

Locoregional failure-free survival (LFFS) and distant metastasis failure-free survival (DMFS) between upper rectal versus middle/lower rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. The local recurrence rate between upper versus middle/lower rectal cancer patients were 8.6% versus 9.6% (a), and the distant metastasis rate were 6.9% versus 13% between upper versus middle/lower rectal cancer patients (b). The 5-year LFFS and 5-year DMFS rates were 91% and 92% for those with upper rectal cancer and 89% and 85% for those with middle/lower rectal cancer (P = 0.855 and P = 0.220, respectively)