Treatment of operable rectal cancer in poor surgical risks

Abstract

Early diagnosis is the greatest asset to successful treatment of rectal cancer. A fair percentage of poor surgical risks with operable disease may be successfully treated by radiation therapy, and retain a normal or practically normal functioning rectum. Cases unsuitable for radiation therapy are best treated by one of the less radical forms of rectal dissection. The choice of treatment rests with the accessibility, size and degree of infection of the primary cancer. Operable mortality may be kept comparatively low by selective surgery and by careful preoperative and post-operative care.