The place of radiotherapy in the management of rectal adenocarcinoma

Surgery remains the mainstay in the management of carcinoma of the rectum. However, in spite of many improvements in techniques and anesthesia over the last fifty years, progress as regards increasing survival has been slow. Local recurrence and systemic disease remain the challenge. It appears that radiation therapy has a very definite role in the reduction of local recurrence. The part of radiation therapy presurgically and postsurgically and the incorporation of both in the 'sandwich technique' is reviewed. The use of chemotherapeutic agents for radiosensitization in an effort to improve the results of radiation therapy is described. Consideration is given to management of rectal carcinoma by radiation alone, in particular the endocavitary technique as a viable option to surgery in selected cases. Additional newer techniques such as intraoperative therapy are explained and the role that cooperative studies may take in answering some of the questions concerning the optimum sequence of radiotherapy and surgery are discussed.