Surgery To Treat Rectal Cancer

Surgery To Treat Rectal Cancer.
For many rectal cancer patients, the anticipation of surgery is a worrisome reality, given that the action can significantly impair both bowel and sexual function. However, a green study reveals that some cancer patients may fare just as well by forgoing surgery in favor of chemotherapy/radiation and "watchful waiting". The pronouncement is based on a review of data from 145 rectal cancer patients, all of whom had been diagnosed with station I, II or III disease. All had chemotherapy and radiation.

But about half had surgery while the others staved off the operation in favor of rigorous tracking of their disease spreading - sometimes called "watchful waiting. We believe that our results will encourage more doctors to take into this 'watch-and-wait' approach in patients with clinical complete response as an alternative to immediate rectal surgery, at least for some patients," ranking study author Dr Philip Paty said in a gossip release from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).