Rectal cancers strike more than 46,000 Americans each year A new trial finds that a change in the timing of chemotherapy and radiation could help more patients retain a functioning rectum That eliminates the need for colostomy, greatly improving quality of life MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Giving chemo and radiation therapies a surgery for rectal cancer can help eliminate the need for removal of the rectum altogether, a new Swedish study finds. “If the tumor disappears completely during treatment, surgery is not required," said study lead author , a professor of oncology at Uppsala University.
That means both "avoiding surgery and retaining normal rectum and rectal function," he added in a university news release. "Moreover, there are fewer metastases." The findings are published in the September issue of Rectal cancer is relatively common, with about 46,220 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year (27,330 in men and 18,890 in women), according to the .
Deaths from rectal cancer are included in statistics for (colon or rectum), which kill more than 54,000 Americans annually. As the Swedish team explained, surgery to remove the affected part of the rectum is often performed soon after a cancer is diagnosed. Of course, that can lead to difficulties with bowel movements and a need for surgery to divert fecal matter to a colostomy bag, all of which can seriously impair a survivor's quality of life.
During the typical treatment of rectal cancer "patients o.