Non-operative management of rectal cancer: future perspectives turning into reality?

Minerva Chir. 2018 Apr;73(2):239-245. doi: 10.23736/S0026-4733.18.07624-1. Epub 2018 Feb 21.

Abstract

The management of rectal cancer has considerably changed over the last decades and complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is becoming a common clinical entity. There is still no consensus on the definition of complete response to neoadjuvant treatment prior to surgery. Treatment programs are mostly heterogeneous and non-randomized. In addition, techniques to diagnose complete response are still unclear and there is no uniformity in surveillance modality of those patients managed without operative intervention. We review the most recent evidences reported in literature.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Adenocarcinoma / surgery
  • Adenocarcinoma / therapy*
  • Chemoradiotherapy*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Forecasting
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / prevention & control
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / surgery
  • Organ Sparing Treatments / methods
  • Patient Selection
  • Postoperative Complications / prevention & control
  • Rectal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Rectal Neoplasms / surgery
  • Rectal Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Remission Induction
  • Salvage Therapy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome