SSAT State-of-the-Art Conference: Advances in the Management of Rectal Cancer

Excerpt

The treatment of rectal cancer has evolved significantly since the early days of total mesorectal excision (TME).¹ Modern management now includes a variety of new surgical techniques, treatment modalities, and oncologic principles. Guidelines from key organizations such as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) help surgeons and providers navigate these many options, but reviews of the current state of these affairs is needed. In 2018, the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) convened a State-of-the-Art Conference on Advances in the Management of Rectal Cancer with international experts and emerging leaders in the field of rectal cancer treatment. Four important topics in rectal cancer management were covered: (1) Gregory Kennedy, MD, PhD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), USA, discussed the use of surgical techniques for rectal cancer (open, laparoscopic, or robotic), (2) Rodrigo Perez, MD, PhD, from the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil, discussed the use of “watch-and-wait” when there is a complete clinical response from neoadjuvant chemotherapy, (3) John Monson, MD, from Florida Hospital, USA, discussed the use of transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) in rectal cancer surgery, and (4) Alessandro Fichera, MD, from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, USA, presented the indications for extended lymphadenectomy in rectal cancer. Each of these important topics will be summarized in this manuscript. …