A 55-year-old man with a history of ulcerative colitis (UC) diagnosed in his early 20s presents with a new diagnosis of distal rectal moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Mismatch repair (MMR) protein expression is intact; routine surveillance endoscopy showed a mass starting ~2 cm from the anal verge with all other biopsies negative for dysplasia. Laboratory results reveal unremarkable levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), and complete blood count (CBC). Systemic staging is negative for metastatic disease. Local staging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals a T3N1 lesion. Based on a multidisciplinary tumor board discussion, the patient is planned for total neoadjuvant chemotherapy with upfront chemoradiation followed by consolidation chemotherapy. After this therapy is completed, what is the optimal surgical course for this patient?
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