Strategies of multidisciplinary treatment of rectal cancer / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

The incidence of rectal cancer has been increasing over past decades in China, making it the third most common malignant tumor. Multidisciplinary treatment plays a fundamental role in the successful treatment of rectal cancer.Total mesorectal excision has been wildly accepted as the standard technique, however, this procedure has not been standardized in China. Neoadjuvant radiation has been accepted as a standard regimen for patients with an advanced rectal cancer at a higher risk of local recurrence, even though controversies remain, such as the selection of patients for preoperative radiation and the optimum regimen for radiation. Combination of chemotherapeutic agents and targeted therapies is recommended according to updated results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In the future, multidisciplinary treatment should be adjusted according to the socioeconomic status of China and RCTs results in Chinese population. Standardization of surgery and surgery quality control also continue to play a core role in improving treatment results of rectal cancer in China.