Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is able to visualize small tumor deposits that previously could only be identified on pathologic examination. MRI is most valuable in areas in which patient management…
In 2009, the projected incidence for colon and rectal cancers in the United States was 106,100 and 40,870, respectively, and approximately 75% of these patients were treated with curative intent….
Local recurrence from rectal cancer is a complex problem that should be managed by a multidisciplinary team. Pelvic reirradiation and intraoperative radiation should be considered in the management of these…
Multimodality treatment of rectal cancer, with the combination of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery has become the preferred approach to locally advanced rectal cancer. The use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy…
Patients are not at risk of dying from a tumor that has been removed; they are at risk of dying from residual microscopic disease not removed at the time of…
The standard adjuvant treatment of cT3 and/or N+ rectal cancer is preoperative chemoradiation. However, there are many controversies regarding this approach. These controversies include the role of short course radiation,…
Several large case series and single-institution trials have shown that laparoscopy is feasible for rectal cancer. Pending the results of the UK CLASICC, COLOR II, Japanese JCOG 0404, and ACOSOG…
As a result of several years of trials and investigations, laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer is now considered an acceptable and safe alternative to traditional open techniques. Four large randomized…
Low anterior resection (LAR), with its numerous technical modifications, is one of the most commonly performed operations for rectal cancer. In the past, patients with locally advanced distal rectal cancer…
ERUS and MRI should be seen more as complementary rather than competitive techniques. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. ERUS is better in showing the tumor extent in small…
