Background: Despite screening initiatives, rectal cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies diagnosed in patients worldwide with a high mortality. The introduction of neoadjuvant therapy has resulted in a paradigm shift in the treatment and outcomes of rectal cancer. Surgeons play an intricate role in the pre-operative, operative, and post-operative management of these patients.
Purpose: The purpose of this comprehensive literature review was to summarize the evolution of the use chemotherapy and radiation and the process of differentiation into specific neoadjuvant chemoradiation protocols in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. This will provide a concise summary for practicing surgeons of the current evidence for neoadjuvant chemoradiation as well as the various implications of therapy on operative outcomes.
Conclusion: The initial benefit of adjuvant therapy in the treatment of rectal cancer patients became evident with prospective studies demonstrating improvements in various oncologic survival outcomes. Due to the improved compliance and reduced toxicity, as well as the potential for tumor down-staging and sphincter preservation, neoadjuvant approaches became the preferred method of administering chemotherapy and radiation. Furthermore, a subgroup of patients has been shown to present with complete clinical response to neoadjuvant therapy. This has resulted in the development of the non-operative "watch and wait" approach, which has initiated discussions on changing the interval from the completion of neoadjuvant therapy to surgical resection. The continued development of the multidisciplinary approach will only further improve our ability to provide patients with the best possible oncologic outcomes.