Extended pre-operative evaluation using clinical examination and advanced imaging allows for more accurate staging and a rational approach to treatment in low rectal cancer.
May inform staging decisions in low rectal cancer; leaves open prospective validation of outcome benefits.
Advances in surgical technique and adjuvant therapy have broadened the spectrum of treatment available for patients with low rectal cancer. Combination of careful pre-operative clinical examination with newer, more sophisticated techniques, particularly in the field of imaging, can stage the extent of disease more accurately then previously. Adoption of an extended pre-operative evaluation allows a more rational approach to treatment in the individual, and standardizes criteria for entry into, and interpretation of, future clinical trials.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Durdey et al. (1992) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: