Abstract
The treatment for rectal cancer continues to evolve. Advances in surgical technique and chemoradiation are decreasing local recurrence and downstaging the disease enough to impact treatment plans. Surgical excision of the primary tumor remains essential for eradication of disease. Local excision is increasing in popularity for its low morbidity and excellent functional results. However, its use is limited by the inability to assess regional lymph nodes and uncertainty of oncologic outcome [1]. Questions remain on who is a candidate, if there is a need for adjuvant treatment in addition to local excision, and how to handle failures of local excision. Careful preoperative staging, patient selection, and multidisciplinary team and patient input is vital for using local excision as curative therapy in appropriate patients.
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Keller, D.S., Raskin, E.R. (2019). Local Excision: Indications and Techniques. In: Kwaan, M., Zbar, A. (eds) Comprehensive Rectal Cancer Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98902-0_9
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