Clinical trial to treat rectal cancer spares major surgery
A new treatment for earlier-stage rectal cancer could transform how patients are treated for the disease, according to a landmark clinical trial.
A new clinical trial has revealed that chemoradiotherapy, combined with rectum-preserving surgery only when necessary, allows most patients with early-stage rectal cancer to retain their rectum, avoiding major side effects associated with traditional radical surgery. This promising treatment approach, tested in a study involving 500 patients across the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Sweden, saw five weeks of chemoradiotherapy proving more effective than five days of radiotherapy in preserving the rectum.
After 12 months, 80% of patients who underwent this method retained their rectum, eliminating the need for radical surgery in most cases. Researchers are now monitoring patients over the next three years to assess the risk of cancer recurrence and long-term survival. This innovative treatment could potentially become a standard option for rectal cancer patients in the future, sparing them from life-altering complications such as bowel dysfunction, sexual and urinary problems, and permanent colostomy bags.
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