Why and How Should We Measure the Long-Term Consequences of Rectal Cancer Treatment?

Abstract

The multimodal treatment of rectal cancer is a major challenge to the clinicians and implies a significant risk of long-term consequences for the patients. The purpose of this short article is to address why and how we should measure late toxicity of rectal cancer treatment. To illustrate some of the key points we review eight key completed randomized phase 3 trials that have contributed to the evidence for use of radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy for rectal tumors. We highlight an urgent need for the validation of a rectal cancer trial specific questionnaire that can be internationally applied.