title: [Adjuvant radiotherapy of rectal cancer].
abstract: During the past decades the effect radiotherapy as adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer has been investigated in several prospective randomized trials. Only a marginal effect has been demonstrated on overall survival rate (3-4%) whereas the local recurrence rate can be significantly reduced by 33-50%. Using modern techniques the side-effects can be reduced to an insignificant level. Patients with rectal cancer who are not entering randomized prospective trials should be considered for pre-operative radiotherapy. Patients should be staged by preoperative CT-scanning and endoluminal ultrasound. Additionally, a down-staging effect and a reduction in tumor-size can be expected and accordingly an increase in resectability rate and a higher rate of sphincter-saving operations for large of fixed tumors is likely to be obtained.
authors.affiliation: Kirurgisk gastroenterologisk afdeling D., Amtssygehuset i Gentofte.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Raskov
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery
vernacular_title: Adjuverende stråleterapi af cancer recti.