Sphincter-saving alternatives for treatment of adenocarcinoma involving distal rectum.

In reviewing the results achieved with local treatment of carcinoma of the rectum, it becomes apparent that no single approach to the treatment of carcinoma of the rectum is optimal for all patients. As is true in patients with carcinoma of the breast and other malignant lesions, selection of the appropriate treatment alternatives for a patient with carcinoma confined to the distal rectum requires accurate preoperative staging of the disease. Physicians interested in treating patients with carcinoma of the rectum should have the full spectrum of treatment alternatives available.