Rectal Cancer
Expert care for rectal cancer with neoadjuvant chemoradiation, surgery (including sphincter-preserving techniques), and adjuvant therapy.
Rectal Cancer
Solid Tumors
Overview
Expert care for rectal cancer with neoadjuvant chemoradiation, surgery (including sphincter-preserving techniques), and adjuvant therapy.
When to Consult
After colonoscopy findings, rectal bleeding, or confirmed rectal cancer diagnosis.
What to Bring
Colonoscopy reports, biopsy results, MRI pelvis, CT scans, CEA blood test results, and surgical history.
Risk Factors
Causes
Treatment Options
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation
Pre-surgical treatment combining chemotherapy (5-FU or capecitabine) with radiation therapy to shrink tumors, improve surgical outcomes, and increase chances of sphincter-preserving surgery. Standard approach for locally advanced rectal cancer.
Surgery
Surgical options include low anterior resection (LAR) with sphincter preservation, abdominoperineal resection (APR) with permanent colostomy, or transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) for early-stage tumors. Total mesorectal excision (TME) technique ensures complete tumor removal.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy
Post-surgical chemotherapy using FOLFOX or capecitabine regimens to eliminate remaining cancer cells and reduce recurrence risk. Typically administered after neoadjuvant therapy and surgery for stage II/III rectal cancer.
Targeted Therapy
Precision treatments including anti-angiogenic agents (bevacizumab) and EGFR inhibitors (cetuximab, panitumumab) for KRAS wild-type advanced rectal cancer. Based on molecular profiling and genetic mutations.
Immunotherapy
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (pembrolizumab, nivolumab) for microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) rectal cancers. Particularly effective in advanced or recurrent disease with these genetic features.
Watch-and-Wait Approach
For selected patients with complete clinical response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation, close monitoring without immediate surgery may be considered, preserving organ function while maintaining careful surveillance.