[Guidelines concerning the treatment of rectal cancer]

Curative resection of primary tumor and metastases is the only way to obtain a prolonged survival. Several additional treatments are under evaluation; some are already routinely proposed, in order to reduce the tumor size and to allow surgery, to reduce the recurrence rate, and to give a better survival in case of unresectable metastases. Even in case of unresectable metastases, resection of the primary tumor should be envisaged, as quality of life with an evolving rectal tumor is very poor.