ABSTRACT
The incidence of local recurrence [LR] following curative surgery for rectal cancer has been reported to range from 10 to 60%. Recently, data from several clinical trials have suggested that LR can be reduced by op to 40% with pre-operative radiotherapy and even further if combined with chemoradiotherapy. Seventeen patients were included in the study; all had adenocarcinorria of the rectum. Sphincter-preserving surgery could be achieved in 11 of the patients [64.7%] while the remaining 6 [35.3%] had abdomino-perineal resection [APR].Pathologic staging after preoperative combined modality therapy for the 17 patients who underwent radical surgery was: Tl-4 NO-2 MO. The incidence of failure was as follows: local, 5.8 % [1/17]; abdominal, 11.7% [2/17]; and distant, 17.6% [3/17].Treatment with preoperafive combined modality therapy followed by surgery and postoperative 5-FU based chemotherapy is an alternative to postoperative combined modality therapy for patients with rectal cancer.Purpose: To determine the local control rale and acute ioxicity in patients with clinically resectable adenocarcinoma of therectum treated with preoperative combined modality therapy