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Clin Colon Rectal Surg 2002; 15(1): 055-062
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-23568
Copyright © 2002 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Adjuvant Therapy for Rectal Cancer

Clifford Y. Ko1, 2 , Michael J. Stamos1, 3 , Arthur Zimmerman4 , Henry C. Yang1, 5
  • 1Department of Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
  • 3Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
  • 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
  • 5Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
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Publication History

Publication Date:
03 April 2002 (online)

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ABSTRACT

In 1990, the National Institutes of Health consensus statement for the treatment of rectal cancer concluded that ``combined postoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy improves local control and survival in stage II and III patients and is recommended.'' Following the publication of this consensus statement, the conventional treatment for rectal cancer was bowel resection followed by adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy. In the years that followed, however, several new findings have been published and a multitude of issues has arisen. This article will attempt to succinctly focus on the best current evidence in the literature. Where possible, we include only Level I evidence (i.e., evidence from randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). Since the role of adjuvant therapy for rectal cancer is continuing to be modified, the purpose of this article is to describe and interpret the most current literature.

KEYWORD

Rectal cancer - radiation therapy - chemotherapy - chemoradiation therapy

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