For a rectal cancer with questionable T3 or questionable N+ by MRI, can short course radiation be given followed by surgery and the pathology still be interpreted to guide adjuvant chemotherapy?

This is a somewhat common scenario. In these situations, I have strongly favored short course RT followed by immediate surgery such that there is not a sufficient time interval between RT and surgery to allow any significant pathologic response. I think you can be confident in that the pathology aft...

To answer this question, I think it’s important to first note that, in the post RAPIDO era, a sequencing of modalities that puts adjunctive chemotherapy after surgery should be reserved for a small minority of cases. For unequivocal clinical stage II or III disease in medically fit patients, I think...

While it allows for less treatment, as we move toward non operative therapy in complete responders, I think this will have limited applicability.