Total Neoadjuvant Therapy

What is total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT)?

Total neoadjuvant therapy is the use of chemotherapy and radiation to treat cancer before surgery is done as a treatment. How your body responds to total neoadjuvant therapy may help decide the intensity of any more treatment you have. TNT is not used for all types of cancer, but has been found to be helpful in treating some types of rectal cancer.

TNT is different from neodjuvant therapy (when one type of treatment is given before surgery) and adjuvant therapy (when treatment is given after surgery).

Why is it used?

TNT can be used to help make a tumor smaller. This can make surgery more successful and shorten, healing time. It can also help prevent cancer from coming back (recurrence). It has also been found that patients are more likely to complete their chemotherapy treatment. If you have an ileostomy, it may lessen the time before it can be reversed.shorten

Many different types of chemotherapy can be used for TNT and your radiation treatment will depend on your plan of care. Your team will talk to you about your treatment options. Ask your provider if TNT will be a part of your treatment plan.