Rectal Cancer: Open Questions in 2022 Current Standards of Clinical Practice and Ongoing Trials

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Rectal cancer is a significant global health concern, with a notable increase in younger patients.
• Current treatment standards are evolving to address this complex disease.
• Individualized therapeutic strategies are becoming crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current standard of care for rectal cancer.
• To discuss individualized treatment approaches considering tumor characteristics and patient preferences.
• To identify areas for future research in rectal cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current standard of care.
• Discussion of individualized treatment strategies.
• Analysis of emerging treatment concepts and ongoing clinical trials.

Main Results:

• Standard of care for rectal cancer is summarized.
• Individualized treatment based on tumor characteristics and patient preferences is highlighted.
• Areas requiring further investigation, such as surgical techniques and watch-and-wait strategies, are identified.

Conclusions:

• Further prospective studies are needed for surgical approaches like minimally invasive techniques and lateral lymph node dissection.
• The watch-and-wait strategy for complete clinical response after chemoradiotherapy requires more evidence and careful patient selection.
• Ongoing clinical trials aim to further personalize multimodal treatment using risk profiles and MRI criteria.