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Rectal Cancer

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Surgical Oncology Manual

Abstract

Rectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in both men and women worldwide. Multimodal management with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical resection remain the mainstay in rectal cancer treatment. The optimal use and timing of these treatment modalities are evolving. Ongoing research on “watch-and-wait,” total neoadjuvant therapy, transanal minimally invasive surgery including transanal total mesorectal excision, lateral lymph node dissection, and the use of MRI to predict utility of neoadjuvant chemoradiation is advancing the ways rectal cancer is treated. Advances in systemic and targeted therapies have helped improve survival in patients with both local and distant disease. Given the progression of treatment options, discussion of all rectal cancer patients in a multidisciplinary forum is essential to optimize outcomes.

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Correspondence to Peter K. Stotland .

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Jrearz, R., Ashamalla, S., Burnstein, M.J., Chu, W., Kennedy, E., Stotland, P.K. (2020). Rectal Cancer. In: Wright, F., Escallon, J., Cukier, M., Tsang, M., Hameed, U. (eds) Surgical Oncology Manual. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48363-0_23

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