However, Rodel et al (2002) analysed the histopathological response to radiotherapy in a series of 44 patients and demonstrated that neither the p53 nor the bcl-2 status was correlated with a response to radiotherapy, but they found that the apoptotic index may help to tailor therapy with regard to neoadjuvant treatment of rectal cancer. This evidence concerns the gene TP53 and rectal cancer.