Abstract
The management of rectal cancer has become increasingly complex. In the 15–20% of patients who achieve a pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy, long-term local and distant tumor control is excellent. Based on these excellent outcomes, interest has grown for an organ-preserving watch and wait approach with selective surgery for patients exhibiting clinical complete response. While there is encouraging emerging data, further validation through rigorous prospective trials is needed before a nonoperative strategy can be routinely offered.
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© 2019 ASCRS (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons)
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Chang, G.J. (2019). Rectal Cancer: Watch and Wait. In: Steele, S., Hull, T., Hyman, N., Maykel, J., Read, T., Whitlow, C. (eds) The ASCRS Manual of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01165-9_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01165-9_30
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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Online ISBN: 978-3-030-01165-9
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