[Interpretation of Chinese expert consensus on multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment of radiation rectal injury (2021 edition)].

Although pelvic radiotherapy has played an important role in the treatment of malignant tumors, it is still difficult to avoid radiation damage within a certain period of time. In 2021, under the joint promotion of Colorectal Surgery Group of Chinese Medical Association Surgery Branch, Colorectal Surgeons Committee of Chinese Medical Doctor Association Surgeons Branch, Colorectal Surgeons Committee of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and Colorectal Cancer Professional Committee of Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, Expert Group on Diagnosis and Treatment of Radiation Intestinal Injury has updated and formulated the 2021 edition of the "Chinese expert consensus on the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment of radiation rectal injury" (hereinafter referred to as "Consensus"). This Consensus edition has major changes compared with the "Chinese consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of radiation proctitis (2018)", which mainly updates in the following aspects: (1) adjusting the name of radiation rectal injury: the term "radiation proctitis" was adjusted to "radiation rectal injury"; (2) advocating the concept of pelvic integral injury and the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model; (3) putting forward the clinical classification of diseases: the classification of the chronic rectal injury includes telangiectasia, ulcer, stenosis and mixed type; (4) carrying out individualized treatment based on the characteristics of the above-mentioned disease classification, and adjusting the recommended level of non-surgical treatment; (5) proposing specific guiding principles and details of surgical treatment: "damage control" and "expanded resection" principles, etc. This new edition (2021) of Consensus further refines the disease analysis and treatment strategies, which not only improves the guiding value of clinical practice, but also provides an important reference for the standardized diagnosis and treatment of radiation rectal injury in China.