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Multidisciplinary Treatment of Rectal Cancer

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Abstract

In rectal cancer treatment, not only the local primary but also regional and systemic tumour deposits must be taken care of. The three major treatments—surgery, radiotherapy and drugs—each with their own advantages and limitations must be combined to achieve optimal results. Several randomized trials, reviewed here, have proven that combinations of the three modalities have markedly improved the loco-regional problem, but have so far only marginally influenced the systemic problem and thus overall survival. The so far weakest modality, the drugs, should likely be given before surgery, or neo-adjuvant. The results of the trials are interpreted differently in the world. A new generation of trials exploring the best sequence of treatments, together with the integration of novel drugs, is ongoing.

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  1. Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden

    Bengt Glimelius

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  1. Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Svendborg, Denmark

    Gunnar Baatrup

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Glimelius, B. (2021). Multidisciplinary Treatment of Rectal Cancer. In: Baatrup, G. (eds) Multidisciplinary Treatment of Colorectal Cancer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58846-5_18

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