Fundamentals of Rectal Cancer Surgery

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A NEW version of the Fundamentals of Rectal Cancer Surgery course is now available!

You will be able to complete your NAPRC requirement and earn 10 CME credits for this new version of the course even if you have earned credits for the previous version.

Fundamentals of Rectal Cancer Surgery has been created to educate surgeons about rectal cancer surgery, including background information, preoperative evaluation, intraoperative management and techniques, and postoperative care. The goal of the course is to be a resource for all surgeons who care for patients with rectal cancer and to promote high-quality, evidence-based surgical and perioperative care.

This course meets standard 8.1 for NAPRC accreditation. At the conclusion of the course, a certificate will be generated for you to submit to NAPRC, if applicable.

CME Credit Hours: 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
Release Date: June 30, 2025
CME Expires: June 30, 2028

Course Instructions
This course must be completed with required media viewed by clicking on images or watching videos. Upon completion of all requirements the evaluation must be completed to obtain the NAPRC certificate and access to the final assessment. The final assessment is required to earn CME credits.

Transferring Credits to the ACCME/American Board of Surgery (ABS)/Other Collaborating Boards
ASCRS is transferring CME and Self-Assessment credits earned for completion of ASCRS activities directly to ACCME/ABS and other collaborating boards on the 1st of each month for physicians who have provided consent to do so. We are unable to transfer your credits if you have not provided consent. For more information and directions on how to provide consent to share your credits with collaborating boards, please visit the ASCRS Continuing Medical Education webpage.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants should be able to:

  • Describe the preoperative evaluation and staging of patients with rectal cancer
  • Outline treatment recommendations, including use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, based on cancer stage and other cancer characteristics
  • Identify the key steps in rectal cancer surgery, including pitfalls and complications that may occur
  • Identify a high-quality mesorectal excision specimen and techniques for obtaining such a specimen surgically
  • Describe the management of perioperative complications of rectal cancer surgery
  • Describe the posttreatment surveillance of patients with rectal cancer and the management of recurrences if they occur

Target Audience

The program is intended for surgeons and surgical trainees who treat rectal cancer in their clinical practice.

Accreditation

Descriptive text is not available for this image The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

Designation

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) designates this enduring activity for 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Committee on Cancer

The Committee on Cancer works to be the source of content expertise for rectal, colon, and anal cancer surgical care, disseminating to ASCRS members resources and opportunities in rectal, colon, and anal cancer care quality improvement, education, and research.

Committee Leadership

Linda Farkas, MD, Chair
David Stewart, MD, Vice Chair
Karim Alavi, MD, MPH, Council Representative

Samantha Hendren, MD, MPH, Advisor
James Fleshman, MD, Advisor

Elaina McCalmont, Staff Liaison
Elizabeth Moran, Staff Liaison

Committee Members

Michael Arvanitis, Jennifer Ayscue, Scott Baker, Glen Balch, David Blumberg, George Chang, Robert Cleary, Michelle Cowan, David Dietz, Beatrice Dionigi, Rahila Essani, Kelly Finan, Fergal Fleming, James Fleshman, Dana Hayden, Samantha Hendren, Rebecca Hoedema, Matthew Kalady, Erin Kennedy, Ron Landmann, Jeremy Lipman, David Liska, John Marks, Justin Maykel, Elisabeth (Lisa) McLemore, David Medich, Evangelos Messaris, John Monson, Harvey Moore, Jamie Murphy, W. Brian Perry, Danielle Pickham, Laila Rashidi, Anna Serur, Shruti Sevak, David Shibata, J. Joshua Smith, Radhika Smith, Patrick Sullivan, George Theodoropoulos, and Kelly Tyler

Disclosures

As required by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and in accordance with the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) policy, all educational planners, presenters, instructors, authors, reviewers and other individuals in a position to control or influence the content of an activity must disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest that have occurred within the past 24 months. All identified conflicts of interest have been resolved and the educational content thoroughly vetted for fair balance, scientific objectivity, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations. It is required that a disclosure be provided to the learners prior to the start of the activity. Individuals with no relevant financial relationships must also inform the learners that no relevant financial relationships exist. Learners must also be informed when off label, experimental/investigational uses of drugs or devices are discussed in an educational activity or included in related materials. Disclosure in no way implies that the information presented is biased or of lesser quality; it is incumbent upon course participants to be aware of these factors in interpreting the program contents and evaluating recommendations. Moreover, expressed views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ASCRS.

Every person who is involved in the planning of this CME program has been asked to provide information regarding any financial relationships with commercial interest as defined by the ACCME.

The following Committee members, educational planners, presenters, instructors, authors, reviewers, and other individuals in a position to control or influence the content of an activity have indicated they have financial relationships to disclose. Those not listed below have indicated they have no financial relationships as defined by ACCME to disclose. All identified conflicts of interest have been resolved.

Disclosed Financial Relationships

Copyright

Fundamentals of Rectal Cancer Surgery
© 2025 American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. All rights reserved.

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Last updated: June 30, 2025
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