Pre-operative evaluation of patients with low rectal carcinoma.

Advances in surgical technique and adjuvant therapy have broadened the spectrum of treatment available for patients with low rectal cancer. Combination of careful pre-operative clinical examination with newer, more sophisticated techniques, particularly in the field of imaging, can stage the extent of disease more accurately then previously. Adoption of an extended pre-operative evaluation allows a more rational approach to treatment in the individual, and standardizes criteria for entry into, and interpretation of, future clinical trials.