Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Rectal cancer is a disease that affects thousands of people each year. The treatment options for locally advanced rectal cancer have significantly improved and can involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
This article describes how treatment options for locally advanced rectal cancer have evolved, emphasizes the importance of involving patients in decision making, and introduces a new tool to help patients and doctors decide about treatment options for rectal cancer.
The management of locally advanced rectal cancer has undergone significant transformations over the decades and optimal treatment approaches continue to evolve. There have been numerous advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy from the first description of the abdominoperineal resection in , timing of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the late 20th and early 21st century, and most recently, the introduction of organ preservation or nonoperative management in Alongside these advancements, the concept of shared decision making in medicine has evolved, prompting a focus on patient-centered care.
With the growing number of possible treatment options, variability in patient counseling exists, highlighting the need for a standardized approach to shared decision making in locally advanced rectal cancer.
This narrative review will describe the evolution of treatment options of locally advanced rectal cancer as well as the concept of shared decision making and decision aids, and will introduce a decision aid for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who have achieved a complete clinical response and are eligible for watch and wait.
