Early Rectal Cancer Research Articles

Substratifying the risk of covert malignancy in significant rectal polyps: Outcomes from a specialist multidisciplinary team (MDT).

A treatment strategy for patients with a significant polyp or early colon cancer (SPECC) of the rectum presents a challenge due to the significant rate of covert malignancy and lack of standardized assessment. For this reason, NICE recommends multidisciplinary meetings to improve outcomes. The primary aim of the present study was to report the performance of our specialist early rectal cancer (SERC) multidisciplinary team (MDT) in correctly substratifying the risk of cancer and to discuss the limitations of staging investigations in those patients with "poor outcomes". This was a retrospective review of patients referred to our SERC MDT from 2014 to 2019. Lesions were assigned by the MDT to three pre-resection categories (low, intermediate, high) according to the risk of covert malignancy. Resection method and final histology were compared to the pre-resection categories. Of 350 SPECC lesions, 174 were assessed as low-risk, 108 intermediate-risk and 68 high-risk. The cancer incidence was 4.8%, 8.3% and 53%, respectively (15.5% overall). Eight lesions were categorized as low-risk but following piecemeal resection were found to be malignant. Five lesions, three of which were categorized as high-risk, were ultimately benign following conventional surgery. One pT1sm1 cancer, removed by anterior resection, may have been treated by local excision. A total of 83% of malignant polyps were triaged to an en bloc resection technique and surgical resection avoided for nearly all benign lesions. However, 12 patients from this cohort were deemed to have a poor outcome because of miscategorization. Further comparative research is needed to establish the optimum strategy for rectal SPECC lesion assessment. There is currently no consensus for staging significant polyps of the rectum. This paper reports the effectiveness of a specialist early rectal cancer MDT to correctly risk-stratify significant rectal polyps. It underscores the importance of accurate categorization for treatment decision-making, while acknowledging the limitations of current staging modalities.

Early rectal cancer: The diagnostic performance of MRI supplemented with a rectal micro-enema and a modified staging system to identify tumors eligible for local excision.

In staging early rectal cancers (ERC), submucosal tumor depth is one of the most important features determining the possibility of local excision (LE). The micro-enema (Bisacodyl) induces submucosal edema and may hypothetically improve the visualization of tumor depth. To test the diagnostic performance of MRI to identify ERC suitable for LE when adding a pre-procedural micro-enema and concurrent use of a modified classification system. In this prospective study, we consecutively included 73 patients with newly diagnosed rectal tumors. Two experienced radiologists independently interpreted the MRI examinations, and diagnostic performance was calculated for local tumors eligible for LE (Tis-T1sm2, n = 43) and non-local tumors too advanced for LE (T1sm3-T3b, n = 30). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were registered for each reader. Inter- and intra-reader agreements were assessed by kappa statistics. Lymph node status was derived from the clinical MRI reports. Reader1/reader2 achieved sensitivities of 93%/86%, specificities of 90%/83%, PPV of 93%/88%, and NPV of 90%/81%, respectively, for identifying tumors eligible for LE. Rates of overstaging of local tumors were 7% and 14% for the two readers, and kappa values for the inter- and intra-reader agreement were 0.69 and 0.80, respectively. For tumors ≤T2, all metastatic lymph nodes were smaller than 3mm on histopathology. MRI after a rectal micro-enema and concurrent use of a modified staging system achieved good diagnostic performance to identify tumors suitable for LE. The rate of overstaging of local tumors was comparable to results reported in previous endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) studies.

Does transanal endomicrosurgery affects the results of “salvage mesorectumectomy” for patients with early rectal cancer? Systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare studies with primary mesorectumectomy (pME) and “salvage mesorectumectomy” (sME) after transanal endomicrosurgery for patients with early rectal cancer.Materials and methods. We selected publications from 1 January 1999 to 1 April 2023. A total of 7 studies were included after screening. Following indicators were compared: quality of mesorectum, frequency of abdominoperineal resection, frequency of local recurrence and distant metastases, mortality, morbidity, time of surgery, post-operative stay, frequency of involvement of circular resection margin. Statistical data was processed using ReviewManager 5.3.Results. Statistically significant differences were observed in probability of intraoperative damaging of mesorectal fascia (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.42; 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 0.24–0.72, р = 0.002). There were also a trend towards decreasing of number of sphincter-preserving operations after transanal endomicrosurgery (TEM) (OR 1.84; 95 % CI 0.96–3.52, р = 0,06). Other indicators didn’t reach statistical significance when compared.Conclusion. sTME is a safe procedure and comparable with pME. However, previous TEM is considered a risk factor for damaging of mesorectum, intraoperative perforation and abdominoperineal resection.

Early Rectal Cancer and Local Excision: A Narrative Review.

A rise in the incidence of early rectal cancer consequent to bowel-screening programs around the world and an increase in the incidence in young adults has led to a growing interest in organ-sparing treatment options. The rectum, being the most distal portion of the large intestine, is a fertile ground for local excision techniques performed with endoscopic or surgical techniques. Moreover, the advancement in endoscopic optical evaluation and the better definition of imaging techniques allow for a more precise local staging of early rectal cancer. Although the local treatment of early rectal cancer seems promising, in clinical practice, a significant number of patients who could benefit from local excision techniques undergo total mesorectal excision (TME) as the first approach. All relevant prospective clinical trials were identified through a computer-assisted search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Medline databases until January 2024. This review is dedicated to endoscopic and surgical local excision in the treatment of early rectal cancer and highlights its possible role in current and future clinical practice, taking into account surgical completion techniques and chemoradiotherapy.

The effect of implementing a transanal minimally invasive surgical programme for the local excision of early rectal neoplasia on outcomes in a tertiary referral rectal cancer centre.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is a surgical alternative to proctectomy in the management of complex rectal polyps and early rectal cancers. In 2016, our institution introduced a TAMIS programme. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in practice and outcomes in our institution in the 3 years before and after the implementation of TAMIS. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a prospective database of patients who underwent proctectomy or TAMIS for the management of complex rectal polyps or early rectal cancers at our institution between 2013 and 2018. 96 patients were included in this study (41 proctectomy vs 55 TAMIS). A significant reduction was noted in the number of proctectomies performed in the 3 years after the implementation of TAMIS as compared to the 3 years before (13 vs 28) ( P < 0.001); 43% of patients ( n = 12) who underwent proctectomy in the period prior to implementation of TAMIS were American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade III, as compared to only 15% ( n = 2) of patients during the period following TAMIS implementation ( P = 0.02). TAMIS was associated with a significant reduction in length of inpatient stay ( P < 0.001). Oncological outcomes were comparable between groups (log rank P = 0.83). Our findings support TAMIS as a safe and effective alternative to radical resection. The availability of TAMIS has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of comorbid patients undergoing proctectomy at our institution. Consequently, we have observed a significant reduction in postoperative complications over this time period.

Sphincter-preserving effect of robotic-assisted intersphincteric resection for ultra-low rectal cancer: a propensity score matching analysis.

Intersphincteric resection (ISR) is a viable option for sphincter preservation in early ultra-low rectal cancer, but postoperative anal dysfunction remains a concern. This study evaluates the outcomes of robotic ISR with coloanal anastomosis in early ultra-low rectal cancer, comparing its efficacy and safety with laparoscopic ISR. Retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 74 consecutive patients undergoing robotic intersphincteric resection (R-ISR) for early ultra-low rectal cancer between January 2017 and December 2018 (R-ISR group), matched with 110 patients undergoing laparoscopic intersphincteric resection (L-ISR). After 1:1 propensity score matching, each group comprised 68 patients. Comparative analyses covered surgical outcomes, complications, long-term results, and anal function. The R-ISR group showed longer total operative time than the L-ISR group (211.7 ± 25.3min vs. 191.2 ± 23.0min, p = 0.001), but less intraoperative bleeding (55.2 ± 20.7ml vs. 69.2 ± 22.9ml, p = 0.01). R-ISR group had fewer conversions to APR surgery (6/8.8% vs. 14/20.6%). Other perioperative indicators were similar. R-ISR exhibited a smaller tumor margin, superior mesorectal integrity, and comparable histopathological outcomes. Postoperative complications, 3-year and 5-year DFS, and OS were similar. At the 1-year follow-up, the Wexner Incontinence Score favored R-ISR (9.24 ± 4.03 vs. 11.06 ± 3.77, p = 0.048). Although R-ISR prolongs the operative time, its surgical safety and oncological outcomes are similar to conventional ISR procedures. Furthermore, it further shortens the margin of anal preservation, reduces the rate of conversion to APR surgery, and improves postoperative anal function.

In adults with early rectal cancer, how does local excision compare with radical resection with or without neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy?

In adults with early rectal cancer, how does local excision compare with radical resection with or without neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy?

Short course immunotherapy as curative-intent treatment in stage I-III dMMR rectal cancer.

121 Background: Neoadjuvant chemo-radiation followed by resection is standard treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (RC). A subset of RC are mismatch repair deficient (dMMR). Check-point inhibitors (CPI) are the standard of care in dMMR colorectal cancer (CRC) in the metastatic setting, and recent trials have demonstrated impressive efficacy in early CRC, even with a limited number of cycles. In the NICHE-II trial (Chalabi et al, ESMO 2022) 72 of 107 patients (67%) with colon cancer obtained pathological complete response (pCR) after short course CPI. In patients with RC, Cercek et al (NEJM 2022) showed that 12 patients (100%) obtained pCR after 6 months of dostarlimab. The efficacy of CPI in dMMR RC has only been evaluated in few studies. Here we report data from a Danish trial with early dMMR RC. EU CT number 2022-500646-14-00. Methods: The purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of 1 cycle of nivolumab (3 mg/kg days 1 and 15 - nivo) and ipilimumab (1 mg/kg day 1 - ipi) in patients with early stage dMMR RC. The primary endpoint was number of patients with clinical complete response (cCR - no visible or palpable tumor) evaluated 4 weeks after nivo-ipi. Patients achieving a clinical, radiological, pathological (representative biopsy without viable tumor cells), and molecular complete response was offered a thorough watchful waiting strategy without surgery. Results: 5 patients were treated, 4 patients received a single cycle of nivo-ipi and 1 patient received 2 cycles of nivo-ipi, as the tumor was still visible at the first endoscopy (Table). All 5 patients were evaluated 4 weeks after completing nivo-ipi and all 5 patients (100%) achieved cCR. All 5 patients were ctDNA positive (Jensen et al, Clin Chem 2020) at diagnosis, 4 patients turned negative after therapy (1 pending). No patient needed radiotherapy and all patients agreed to non-surgical watchful waiting. No patient has had progression or recurrence (1-42 months follow-up). Conclusions: Short-course nivo-ipi is very effective in locally advanced dMMR rectal cancer and may become an alternative to resection. Clinical trial information: 2022-500646-14-00 . [Table: see text]

Trends and Variation in the Use of Radiotherapy in Non-metastatic Rectal Cancer: a 14-year Nationwide Overview from the Netherlands

AimsThis study describes nationwide primary radiotherapy utilisation trends for non-metastasised rectal cancer in the Netherlands between 2008 and 2021. In 2014, both colorectal cancer screening and a new guideline specifying prognostic risk groups for neoadjuvant treatment were implemented. Materials and methodsPatients with non-metastasised rectal cancer in 2008–2021 (n = 37 510) were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and classified into prognostic risk groups. Treatment was studied over time and age. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with (i) radiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy use for intermediate rectal cancer and (ii) chemoradiotherapy without versus with surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer. ResultsFor early rectal cancer, the use of neoadjuvant radiotherapy decreased (15% to 5% between 2008 and 2021), whereas the use of endoscopic resections increased (8% in 2015, 17% in 2021). In intermediate-risk rectal cancer, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (43% until 2011, 25% in 2015) shifted to radiotherapy (42% in 2008, 50% in 2015), the latter being most often applied in older patients. In locally advanced rectal cancer, the use of chemoradiotherapy without surgery increased (2–4% in 2008–2013, 17% in 2019–2021). Both neoadjuvant treatment in intermediate disease and omission of surgery following chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced disease varied with increasing age (odds ratio>75vs<50: 2.17, 95% confidence interval 1.54–3.06) and treatment region (Southwest and Northwest odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.42–0.93 and odds ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.44–0.95, respectively, compared with the North). ConclusionTreatment patterns in non-metastasised rectal cancer significantly changed over time. Effects of both the national screening programme and the new treatment guideline were apparent, as well as a paradigm shift towards organ preservation (watch-and-wait). Observed regional variations may indicate adoption differences regarding new treatment strategies.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) for local excision of benign and malignant rectal neoplasia: a 7-year experience

PurposeTransanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is an advanced transanal platform that can be utilised to perform high-quality local excision (LE) of rectal neoplasia. This study describes clinical and midterm oncological outcomes from a single unit’s 7-year experience with TAMIS.MethodsConsecutive patients who underwent TAMIS LE at our institution between January 1st, 2016, and December 31st, 2022, were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Indication for TAMIS LE was benign lesions not amenable to endoscopic excision or histologically favourable early rectal cancers. The primary endpoints were resection quality, disease recurrence and peri-operative outcomes. The Kaplan–Meier survival analyses were used to describe disease-free survival (DFS) for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma that did not receive immediate salvage proctectomy.ResultsThere were 168 elective TAMIS LE procedures performed for 102 benign and 66 malignant lesions. Overall, a 95.2% negative margin rate was observed, and 96.4% of lesions were submitted without fragmentation. Post-operative morbidity was recorded in 8.3% of patients, with post-operative haemorrhage, being the most common complication encountered. The mean follow-up was 17 months (SD 15). Local recurrence occurred in 1.6%, and distant organ metastasis was noted in 1.6% of patients.ConclusionsFor carefully selected patients, TAMIS for local excision of early rectal neoplasia is a valid option with low morbidity that maintains the advantages of organ preservation.

Lokalno radikalno lečenje patoloških lezija rektuma minimalno invazivnim hirurškim pristupima

Introduction: The most common pathological changes treated in the rectum are neoplastic polyps (villous, tubular, and tubulovillous adenomas) and rectal adenocarcinomas. Until now, precancerous lesions of the type of neoplastic polyps have been treated with a local approach, and patients with advanced cancers have been operated on with a radical surgical intervention, either classically or laparoscopically. Aim: In this paper, we will show the advantages and disadvantages of certain local surgical approaches to pathological changes in the rectum. Material and methods: Our research analyzed two groups of patients. In the first group, patients with pathological lesions of the rectum were treated with local transanal excision (TAE), and the second group of patients were treated with the newly introduced technique of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS). In the period from September 2021 to March 2023. at the CHC Zemun in Surgery Clinic, a total of 12 patients were operated on with the TAMIS procedure and 15 patients with the TAE technique for various pathological changes in the rectum. In all patients, the changes were localized in the rectum from 5 to 15 cm from the anocutaneous line in the TAMIS group and from 0 to 6 cm in the TAE group. Pathological changes could not be resected by endoscopic polypectomy. Results: The average duration of the operations was longer in the TAMIS group and amounted to 45 minutes, while the operations lasted an average of 20 minutes in the TAE group. During the surgical procedure, mucosectomy is most often performed, followed by resection of the full thickness of the rectal wall, and resection of the rectal wall with part of the mesorectal tissue was performed the least frequently in both analyzed groups. In 3 patients we had preparation fragmentation, and in 1 case we had positive margins by histopathological postoperative analysis in the TAMIS group. In the TAE group, we had one patient with preparation fragmentation and a positive margin. Patients with a positive margin in both the TAE and TAMIS groups belonged to villous adenomas with a high degree of dysplasia. The final HP finding in both groups most often spoke in favor of tubulovillous adenoma with a low to medium degree of dysplasia. In both groups, we had 2 cases of early intramucosal carcinoma T1 stage. Discussion: The postoperative period of hospitalization is shorter in TAE compared to TAMIS (1.3 days compared to 1.8 days). We had no serious postoperative complications in any of the observed groups. In one case, we had postoperative bleeding, which was treated with endoscopic hemostasis. Such low percentages of postoperative complications, even in our small series of patients, justify the introduction of the TAMIS procedure into daily practice for the surgical treatment of large endoscopically unresectable rectal polyps of high rectal localization. Conclusion: Based on our work and the available literature, we can conclude that radical local resections of TAE and TAMIS are a viable alternative to surgical radical rectal resection in polypoid changes and early T1 rectal cancers with less morbidity, faster recovery, and lower treatment costs. These techniques are safe, effective, and reproducible.

Radical versus Local Surgical Excision for Early Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Radical excision (RE) for rectal cancer carries a higher risk of mortality and morbidity, while local excision (LE) could decrease these postoperative risks. However, the long-term benefit of LE is still debatable. To study the effectiveness of LE versus RE in T1 and T2 rectal cancer. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using key databases like PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov. Only cohort studies and randomized controlled trials were included. RevMan 5.4 tool was used for data analysis. Both clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the studies were assessed, and I2 >75% was considered as highly heterogeneous. The primary outcomes being measured were 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year disease free survival (DFS). A subgroup analysis of patients with T1-only was also conducted, without adjuvant chemo/radiotherapy. A total of 18 studies were included for final meta-analysis. Four were RCTs, while the other 15 were retrospective cohort studies. One included study had data from both RCT and non-RCT study groups. Nine studies were multicentered or national studies while nine were unicentral.There was no difference in risk ratio (RR) between OS: RR 0.95, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [0.91, 0.99] and DFS: RR 0.93, 95% CI [0.87, 1.01]. There were lower hazards ratios in OS: RR 1.41, 95% CI [1.14, 1.74] and DFS: RR 1.95, 95% CI [1.36, 2.78] with radical, as compared to LE. Lower recurrence rate was associated with RE. Random effect model was used due to clinical heterogeneity between studies (different surgical procedures, tumor staging, adjuvant chemo or radiotherapy). LE for early-stage rectal cancer has lower 5-year OS and DFS than RE, with higher local recurrence rate. However, LE is associated with lower early postoperative mortality, morbidity and length of stay as compared to RE.

Large rectal polyps require specialist assessment and staging to optimise management of Early Rectal Cancer

Large rectal polyps require specialist assessment and staging to optimise management of Early Rectal Cancer

Surgical Techniques for Transanal Local Excision for Early Rectal Cancer

Surgical Techniques for Transanal Local Excision for Early Rectal Cancer

Endoscopic and trans-anal local excision vs. radical resection in the treatment of early rectal cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

The management of early-stage rectal cancer in clinical practice is controversial. The aim of this network meta-analysis was to compare oncological and postoperative outcomes for T1T2N0M0 rectal cancers managed with local excision in comparison to conventional radical resection. A systematic review of Medline, Embase and Cochrane electronic databases was performed. Relevant studies were selected using PRISMA guidelines. The primary outcomes measured were 5-year local recurrence and overall survival. Secondary outcomes included rates of postoperative complication, 30-day mortality, positive margin and permanent stoma formation. Three randomized controlled trials and 27 observational studies contributed 8570 patients for analysis. Radical resection was associated with reduced 5-year local recurrence in comparison to local excision. This was statistically significant in comparison to trans-anal local excision (odds ratio (OR) 0.23; 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.30) and favourable in comparison to endoscopic techniques (OR 0.40; 95% confidence interval 0.13-1.23) although this did not reach clinical significance. Positive margin rates were lowest for radical resection. However, 30-day mortality rates, perioperative complications and permanent stoma rates all favoured local excision with no statistically significant difference between endoscopic and trans-anal techniques. Radical resection of early rectal cancer is associated with the lowest 5-year local recurrence rates and the lowest rate of positive margins. However, this must be balanced with its higher 30-day mortality and complication rates as well as the increased risk of permanent stoma. The emerging potential role of neoadjuvant therapy prior to local resection, and the heterogeneity of its use, as an alternative treatment for early rectal cancer further complicates the treatment paradigm and adds to controversy in this field.

Endoscopic intermuscular dissection for locally advanced rectal cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Endoscopic submucosal dissection is considered curative for patients with early rectal cancer when level of submucosal invasion is &lt; 1000 microns with favourable histopathological features. Recent data suggests even deeper submucosal invasion can potentially be curative if R0 resection can be achieved and when no high-risk histopathological features are seen in the resected specimen. To achieve R0 resection, deeper dissection is required. CASE SUMMARY A 66 year old New Zealand European male presented with 3 mo history of per rectal bleeding. He was referred for a colonoscopy test to investigate this further. This revealed a malignant appearing lesion in the rectum. Biopsies however showed high grade dysplasia only. Given endoscopic appearances suspicious for deep submucosal invasion, patient was consented for endoscopic intermuscular dissection (EID). The case was successfully performed, and the presence of muscularis propria was confirmed in the resected specimen. There were no complications and total procedure time was 124 min. Lesion was clear of radial margins however deep margins were positive confirming it was at least a pT2 cancer. Patient was recommended to have further treatment but could not have radical surgery due to comorbidities and instead was referred for long course chemoradiotherapy. CONCLUSION EID is a safe and feasible option for management of rectal cancer in highly selected patients.

Patients’ perspectives and the perceptions of healthcare providers in the treatment of early rectal cancer; a qualitative study

BackgroundShared decision-making has become of increased importance in choosing the most suitable treatment strategy for early rectal cancer, however, clinical decision-making is still primarily based on physicians’ perspectives. Balancing quality of life and oncological outcomes is difficult, and guidance on patients’ involvement in this subject in early rectal cancer is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore preferences and priorities of patients as well as physicians’ perspectives in treatment for early rectal cancer.MethodsIn this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were performed with early rectal cancer patients (n = 10) and healthcare providers (n = 10). Participants were asked which factors influenced their preferences and how important these factors were. Thematic analyses were performed. In addition, participants were asked to rank the discussed factors according to importance to gain additional insights.ResultsPatients addressed the following relevant factors: the risk of an ostomy, risk of poor bowel function and treatment related complications. Healthcare providers emphasized oncological outcomes as tumour recurrence, risk of an ostomy and poor bowel function. Patients perceived absolute risks of adverse outcome to be lower than healthcare providers and were quite willing undergo organ preservation to achieve a better prospect of quality of life.ConclusionPatients’ preferences in treatment of early rectal cancer vary between patients and frequently differ from assumptions of preferences by healthcare providers. To optimize future shared decision-making, healthcare providers should be aware of these differences and should invite patients to explore and address their priorities more explicitly during consultation. Factors deemed important by both physicians and patients should be expressed during consultation to decide on a tailored treatment strategy.

Trans-anal endoscopic microsurgery for non- adenomatous rectal lesions.

Trans-anal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) enables a good visualization of the surgical field and is considered the method of choice for excision of adenomas and early T1 rectal cancer. The rectum and retro-rectal space might be the origin of uncommon neoplasms, benign and aggressive, certain require radical trans-abdominal surgery, while others can be treated by a less aggressive approach. In this study we report outcomes in patients undergoing TEM for rare and non-adenomatous rectal and retro-rectal lesions over a period of 11 years. To report outcomes in patients undergoing TEM for rare and non-adenomatous rectal and retro-rectal lesions over a period of 11 years. Between January 2008 to December 2019 a retrospective analysis was completed for all patients who underwent TEM for non-adenomatous rectal lesion or retro-rectal mass in our institution. Patients were discharged once diet was well tolerated and no complications were identified. They were evaluated at 3 wk post operatively, then at 3-mo intervals for the first 2 years and every 6 mo depending on the nature of the final pathology. Clinical examination and rectoscopy were performed during each of the follow-up visits. Out of 198 patients who underwent TEM during the study period, 18 had non-adenomatous rectal or retro-rectal lesions. Mean age was 47 years. The mean size of the lesions was 2.9 mm, with a mean distance from the anal margin of 7.9 cm. Mean surgical time was 97.8 min. There were no intra-operative neither late post-operative complications. Mean length of stay was 2.5 d. Mean patient follow-up duration was 42 mo. TEM allows for reduced morbidity given its minimally invasive nature. Surgeons should be familiar with the technique but careful patient selection should be considered. It can be used safely for uncommon rectal and selected retro-rectal lesions without compromising outcomes. We believe that it should be reasonably considered as one of the surgical methods when treating rare lesions.

Comparing neoadjuvant therapy followed by local excision to total mesorectal excision in the treatment of early stage rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.

Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the standard-of-care in early, clinical stage (cT2-3 N0 M0) rectal cancer. Local excision (LE) may be an alternative after adequate response to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), with either long-course chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) or short-course radiotherapy (SCRT), as a means of preserving the rectum and potentially obviating the morbidity of TME. A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines for studies that randomly assigned patients with cT2-3 N0 M0 rectal cancer to either NAT + LE or TME that reported radiologic, oncologic, surgical, and morbidity outcomes. A total of 4 RCTs comprise 462 patients (232 patients receiving NAT + LE; nCRT n = 205; SCRT n = 27) and 230 undergoing TME, respectively. NAT compliance was 98.86%. The rate of early completion TME in the NAT + LE group was 22.3%, while the proportion of patients achieving durable organ preservation was 75.4% at mean follow-up of 5.6years. There was no difference in disease-free survival (DFS) (HR [hazard ratio] 1.19; 95% CI 0.95, 1.49; p = 0.13) or overall survival (OS) (HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.72, 1.23; p = 0.63]) according to the assigned treatment arm. The local recurrence rate (LRR) (HR 1.22; 95% CI 0.5-3.02; p = 0.66) and distant metastases (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.45, 1.90; p = 0.82) were also comparable between the groups. There was a significant reduction in major (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.21, 0.95; p = 0.04) and minor morbidity (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.24, 0.85; p = 0.01) for patients undergoing NAT + LE. Overall stoma formation was decreased in the NAT + LE group (OR 0.03; 95% CI 0.0, 0.23; p ≤ 0.00001). NAT + LE reduces adverse effects of TME, without any compromise in oncological outcomes, and the potential for an organ preserving strategy should be discussed with patients with T2-3N0 rectal cancers prior to treatment.

Short-course radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and PD-1 inhibitor in low-lying early rectal cancer: study protocol for a single-arm, multicentre, prospective, phase II trial (TORCH-E)

IntroductionCurrent standard treatment for patients with early rectal cancer is radical surgical resection. Although radical surgery provides effective local tumour control, it also increases the mortality risk and considerable adverse...