Organ preservation following short-course radiotherapy for rectal cancer.

Background: Non-operative management of rectal cancer is increasingly being used in selected patients. Most reports include patients treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) before inclusion into a Watch & Wait (W&W) programme. The aim of this study was to report outcomes from a single-centre W&W programme involving a large cohort of patients.

[20-25 procent of patients with rectal cancer may be saved from a rectal resection].

Besides clinical evaluation, all patients with rectal cancer must be examined with CT of the chest and abdomen to assess the presence of metastases, pelvic MRI to stage the tumour locally, and if possible, colonoscopy to detect synchronous lesions. The recommended treatment is then discussed at an MDT conference and neoadjuvant radio- or chemoradiotherapy given according to national guidelines. A new digital rectal examination (DRE) and proctoscopy, CT and pelvic MRI should be performed around six weeks after treatment.