A Study of Avastin (Bevacizumab) Plus Xeloda (Capecitabine) in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

pCR was defined as the absence of viable tumor cells, as determined by standard histologic procedure, in the tumor specimen (including regional lymph nodes) obtained at surgery. In order to minimize evaluation bias, tumor specimens were analyzed by both a central and local pathologist. The number of participants with pathological tumor stage 0 (pT0) and regional lymph nodes stage 0 (pN0) at surgery was determined. pCR was defined as the number of participants with pT0 and pN0 at surgery divided by the total number of participants with pathological tumor stage data collected.

The frequencies of clinical tumor stage T (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or X), regional lymph nodes stage N (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4), and distant metastasis clinical stage M (0, 1, or X) at baseline and at the end of NAT were assessed. The frequencies of pathological tumor stage T and regional lymph nodes stage N at surgery were evaluated. The clinical tumor and lymph node status was assessed by clinical examination, endosonography, and/or rectosigmoidoscopy, and pelvic and abdomen computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Response to treatment had to be assessed within 6 weeks after end of treatment by using the same techniques performed at baseline.

Percentage of participants with CR was evaluated as the proportion of participants with complete response for the target and non-target lesions, separately, at the end of NAT according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). CR was defined as disappearance of all target lesions or all non-target lesions and normalization of tumor marker levels.

Percentage of participants with an overall response of CR was evaluated as the proportion of participants with CR for the target and non-target lesions plus absence of new lesions at the end of NAT according to RECIST. CR was defined as disappearance of all target lesions, all non-target lesions, and normalization of tumor marker levels.

The percentage of participants with new lesions located at the primary tumor site were evaluated at the end of NAT.

The percentage of participants with local and/or regional relapse during follow-up. New lesions located at rectum or at colon or at lymph node detected at the end of NAT were evaluated as local and/or regional relapse.

DFS was defined as the time from treatment start date to the date of first progression of disease or date of death due to any cause.

The time in months from date of start-of-treatment to the date of event defined as the first documented disease progression or death due to any cause. If a participant did not have an event, the time was censored at the date of last adequate tumor assessment. DFS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

OS was defined as the time from the date of first day of treatment until death due to any cause or the last date the participant was known to be alive.

OS was defined as the time from the date of first day of treatment until death due to any cause or the last date the participant was known to be alive. OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

TTP was defined as the time from date of treatment start until first documented progression of disease or death due to underlying cancer.

TTP was defined as the time from date of treatment start until first documented progression of disease or death due to underlying cancer. TTP was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.