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Rectal Cancer

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International Manual of Oncology Practice

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Abstract

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both men and women in Western countries with rectal carcinoma accounting for approximately 28 % of cases arising from the large bowel. The majority of colorectal cancers still occur in industrialized countries. With the dramatic changes in socioeconomic circumstances and lifestyles, recent rises in colorectal cancer incidence have been observed in economic transitioning countries worldwide.

The usual pathogenesis of colorectal cancer is an adenomatous polyp that slowly increases in size, followed by dysplasia and finally cancer. Screening for colorectal cancer is valuable because early detection and removal of premalignant adenomas or localized cancer can prevent cancer or cancer-related deaths.

Although radical resection of rectum is the mainstay of therapy, surgery alone has a high recurrence rates. A multidisciplinary approach that includes colorectal surgery, medical oncology, and radiation oncology is required for optimal treatment of patients with rectal cancer. Therefore, determination of optimal treatment plan for patients with rectal cancer involves a complex decision-making process.

Rectal cancer recurs in 5–30 % of patients, usually in the first year after surgery. Tumor stage, grade, number of lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular involvement, signet cell appearance, achievement of negative radial margins, and distance from the radial margin are important prognostic indicators of local and distant recurrences.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery and Laparoscopic Center, Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China

    Jinhui Zhu M.D. & Kai Yu M.D.

  2. Department Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal

    Ramon Andrade de Mello M.D., Ph.D.

  3. Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Ramon Andrade de Mello M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Jinhui Zhu M.D.
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  2. Kai Yu M.D.
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  3. Ramon Andrade de Mello M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramon Andrade de Mello M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Oncology, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal

    Ramon Andrade de Mello

  2. edificio 7, ala nascente, 3º andar, University of Algarve, Dept Cie Biomed edificio 7, ala nascente, 3º andar, Faro, Portugal

    Álvaro Tavares

  3. Medical Oncology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Giannis Mountzios

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Zhu, J., Yu, K., de Mello, R.A. (2015). Rectal Cancer. In: de Mello, R., Tavares, Á., Mountzios, G. (eds) International Manual of Oncology Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21683-6_13

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