Fig. 2
OS estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method for stage II and III rectal cancer. a OS estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method for patients with T3/4N0M0 stage disease receiving different treatment modalities (surgery alone versus (vs.) adjuvant RT: p < 0.001; surgery alone vs. neoadjuvant RT: p < 0.001; surgery alone vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p < 0.001; adjuvant RT vs. neoadjuvant RT: p = 0.051; adjuvant RT vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p = 0.214; and neoadjuvant RT vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p = 0.724). b OS estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method for patients with T1/2N+M0 stage disease receiving different treatment modalities (surgery alone vs. adjuvant RT: p < 0.001; surgery alone vs. neoadjuvant RT: p < 0.001; surgery alone vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p < 0.001; adjuvant RT vs. neoadjuvant RT: p = 0.332; adjuvant RT vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p = 0.442; and neoadjuvant RT vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p = 0.906); c OS estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method for patients with T3/4N+M0 stage disease receiving different treatment modalities (surgery alone vs. adjuvant RT: p < 0.001; surgery alone vs. neoadjuvant RT: p < 0.001; surgery alone vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p < 0.001; adjuvant RT vs. neoadjuvant RT: p < 0.001; adjuvant RT vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p = 0.637; and neoadjuvant RT vs. surgery plus chemotherapy: p < 0.001)