Combined-modality therapy for rectal cancer: future prospects.

The management of rectal cancer has undergone significant evolution with advances in surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. These advances have translated into improved rates of local control, survival, and quality of life. More recently, the integration of newer chemotherapeutic and targeted agents in patients with advanced colorectal cancer have led to further improvements in disease-free survival and overall survival. These agents are now being studied with radiation therapy in the neoadjuvant therapy of rectal cancer.