Rectal Cancer Stage I - III

In early stage (stage I) rectal cancer, primary resection is the treatment of choice. The rectum plus adjacent tissue and lymph nodes is resected on-block (total mesorectal excisition). Preoperative "neoadjuvant" radiotherapy (i.e. a combination of irradiation of the tumor and a chemotherapy) represents a standard of care for stage II and III rectal cancer. This multimodal treatment strategy helps to prevent sphinkter preservation and decreases local recurrence rates.