Chemoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer

Significant advances have been made in the treatment of rectal cancer. Multidisciplinary management is the preferred approach and offers the best clinical outcome. In locally advanced disease, surgery with total mesorectal excision remains the leading option, but adjuvant treatments are necessary due to local and systemic failure. Even if the preoperative approach is the treatment of choice, chemoradiotherapy may be considered both in preoperative or postoperative setting as it significantly improves local control with lower toxicity rates. Nevertheless, additional drugs are to be incorporated in the combined treatment programs mainly aiming to reduce metastases at distant sites.