THE COMPLETE PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO NEOADJUVANT THERAPY AND ITS ROLE IN THE TREATMENT STRATEGY FOR RECTAL CANCER

Abstract

The therapeutic strategy in rectal cancer has substantially changed in the past decade. Total mesorectumectomy has been widely used. Many specialized health facilities have accepted radio/chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer as a standard. At the same time as high as one quarter of the patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy demonstrate a complete pathomorphological regression of a tumor. In this connection, the current literature discusses whether medical treatment is permissible in this group of patients.

Keywords

• rectal cancer
• chemoradiotherapy
• complete pathomorphological response
• complete therapeutic pathomorphism
• therapeutic strategy