A 63-year-old woman is diagnosed with a poorly differentiated microsatellite–stable rectal cancer 7 cm from the anal verge on screening colonoscopy. She denies trouble with continence. Staging computed tomography (CT) of the chest/abdomen/pelvis does not demonstrate distant disease; a mass is confirmed in the mid rectum with evidence of lymphadenopathy. Rectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrates this tumor is a T4aN2M0 with threatened circumferential radial margin. The multidisciplinary tumor board recommends total neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX and long-course chemoradiation therapy. Six weeks after completing neoadjuvant therapy, flexible sigmoidoscopy demonstrates persistent tumor. Restaging MRI after total neoadjuvant therapy is consistent with persistently threatened posterior radial margin with tumor extending to the presacral fascia. The multidisciplinary tumor board’s best recommendation for her is
There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.