title: Role of adjuvant therapy in adenocarcinoma of the rectum.
abstract: Combined modality therapy is the standard adjuvant therapy for selected patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum. In the postoperative setting, the primary goal is to decrease local recurrence and improve overall survival. In the preoperative setting, adjuvant therapy has the additional potential benefit of enhancing sphincter preservation and less acute toxicity as compared with postoperative adjuvant therapy. Investigational trials are in progress to examine new systemic chemotherapeutic agents and altered radiation fractionation schemes.
authors.affiliation: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Minsky
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D006801:Humans; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy