Operative vs. non-operative management of rectal cancer

In the past, patients with early stage rectal cancer were treated with surgery alone. Recent research has found that some early stage rectal cancers can be treated with chemoradiation therapy instead. The trade-off is that if chemoradiation does not completely treat the cancer, patients still need to have surgery later. The decision aid will discuss both treatments, their pros and cons, and explore patients’ preferences to support their choice.

Project led by Dr. Merrill Rubens, general surgery resident, co-mentored by Dr. Sean Glasgow and Dr. Mary Politi.

This project is supported by the T32 Surgical Oncology Training program (T32CA00962133).

Rubens, Merrill E.; Mayo, Timothy P.; Smith, Radhika K.; Glasgow, Sean C.; Politi, Mary C.; A Qualitative Exploration of Stakeholders’ Preferences for Early-Stage Rectal Cancer Treatment. Annals of Surgery 4(4):p e364, December 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/AS9.0000000000000364