radiation therapy for rectal cancer: modern trends and prospects

Short course of radiotherapy or prolonged chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery 
is traditionally been used in the treatment of rectal cancer. For patients with locally 
advanced stages, until recently, the standard treatment was a trimodal approach with 
neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Complete 
response after neoadjuvant therapy in some patients and the high risk of distant 
metastasis have led to the search for new strategies. Personalized approach based 
on accurate MRI staging and prognosis assessment, total neoadjuvant treatment, 
and organ-preserving technologies – the most promising directions. This review 
summarizes current role of radiation therapy in the treatment of rectal cancer.