Standard treatment of locally advanced rectal cancers

Standard treatment of locally advanced rectal cancers: New approaches and benefits

Locally advanced rectal cancers pose a medical challenge, but modern treatment strategies are offering increasingly promising results. The combined approach, which integrates chemotherapy, radiotherapy and radical surgery, has become the standard of care, significantly improving patients' prognosis.

Treatment strategy for advanced rectal cancersTreatment oflocally advanced rectal cancers follows a well-established protocol:

Concomitant chemoradiotherapy:
This initial stage allows to reduce the size of the tumor and eliminate cancer cells by 20%, and in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the sterilization rate can reach up to 30%.

Radical surgery:
After completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients undergo radical surgery, which involves total excision of the mesorectum. This procedure is essential to completely remove the tumor and prevent recurrence.

Adjuvant chemotherapy:
Depending on the patient's lymph node status, adjuvant treatment is given to prevent the spread of the disease and metastases.

Results and benefits

The radiosurgical strategy reduced the local recurrence rate to below 5%, a significant achievement in the field of oncology.

The early introduction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has brought important benefits:

• Increased relapse-free survival rate.
• Reducing the risk of metastases.

Chemoradiotherapy and its impact

Recent studies confirm that concurrent chemoradiotherapy is an essential pillar of treatment for advanced rectal cancer. Combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it:

Offers a tumor sterilization rate of up to 30%.

It helps reduce the size of the tumor, facilitating radical surgery.

Evolution of treatments: towards personalized therapy

Today, treatment strategies for rectal cancer are constantly changing. New approaches include the earlier introduction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, based on promising results in terms of patient survival and reduction of metastases.

Appointments and consultations

For appointments, you can contact us through the Call Center, on 031 9006, where Dr. Ionel Cojocaru and his team are at your disposal with information and medical support.
Address: you can find us at the end of CUG, at the former FORTUS headquarters.

Latest medical review:

13.02.2025, Dr. Dr. Ionela Miron-Amarghioalei - Specialist Physician

References:

• Ali, Fadwa, et. al. "Advances in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer". Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery, 2021, vol. 5, no. 1, pg. 32 - 38.
• Oronsky, Bryan (Dr.), et. al. "Locally advanced rectal cancer: The past, present, and future". Seminars in Oncology, 2020, vol. 47, no. 1, pg. 85 - 92.
• Schrag, Deborah (Dr.), et al. "Preoperative Treatment of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer." The New England Journal of Medicine, 2023, vol. 389, no. 4.
• Smith, J. Joshua, Garcia-Aguillar, Julio. "Advances and Challenges in Treatment of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer". Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2015, vol. 33, no. 16.