Neo-adjuvant Chemoradiation With Oxaliplatin/5-FU in Rectal Cancer

RATIONALE: 5FU based neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) is the standard of care for Stage II/III rectal cancer. Pathologic complete response (pCR) and downstaging have been associated with improved outcomes. The addition of oxaliplatin (OXA) to neoadjuvant therapy may reduce distant disease recurrence. Adjuvant treatment with OXA for rectal cancer has been motivated by benefits demonstrated in stage III colon cancer. Objective: To determine the feasibility, toxicity, and efficacy of preoperative OXA/5FU and RT followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) and adjuvant PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving neo-adjuvant combination chemotherapy with radiation works in treating patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer.