Rectal preservation is viable in most rectal cancer cases

In a multicenter study of 178 patients with mid-low rectal adenocarcinoma, 80.9% maintained rectal preservation after neoadjuvant treatment using either transanal local excision or a watch-and-wait approach. Overall survival at three years was 80.6%, while disease-free survival reached 97.6%. Local recurrence-free and distant recurrence-free survival rates were reported at 90.0% and 94.6%, respectively. Stoma-free survival was high at 95.0%. These outcomes suggest a promising paradigm shift in managing rectal cancer.