CONTEMPORARY TREATMENT OF RECTAl CARCINOMA

In the last few decades we have witnessed a great advancement in the treatment of rectal carcinoma. This advancement has partly been enabled by the development of new surgical techniques, magnetic resonance imaging as an optimal diagnostic tool and of new histopathological techniques for resected specimen evaluation. Other important contributions include the development of sophisticated radiotherapy treatment techniques which, applied with new cytostatics and smart drugs, induce a better tumor response while reducing toxicity. Although each discipline has contributed to a better understanding of the disease, it is the multidisciplinary approach that has yielded success in treatment so far.