Surgeons

Biography

Biography: Selliah Kanthan

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the world with a projected global increased trend of disease by 60% over the next few decades. 70% of these arise in the colon and 30% in the rectum. Th e vast majority of these are adenocarcinomas. Primary rectal squamous cell carcinomas, which are very rare, can be diffi cult to distinguish from anal cancers and are treated according to the same approach as anal cancer, with initial chemoradiotherapy (radiotherapy with concurrent fl uoropyrimidine chemotherapy) rather than surgery. Th e optimal approach to treating rectal adenocarcinoma depends on a number of factors, of which the location in the rectum and the extent of local disease are key determinants. For some patients with limited invasive cancer in a polyp who have no adverse features, polypectomy alone may suffi ce. For others, who have locally extensive, fi xed, bulky tumors or extensive nodal disease, induction chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy may be pursued. An algorithmic approach to treating rectal cancer that is based on the pretreatment clinical staging evaluation for rectal cancer. will be presented. Th e role of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for potentially resectable adenocarcinomas, adjuvant therapy aft er resection of primary rectal adenocarcinoma, staging and the staging workup, pretreatment local staging evaluation, surgical principles, and recommendations for posttreatment surveillance will be discussed. Recent advances in rectal cancer including no surgery, minimal surgery or minimally invasive surgery will also be explored as newer options in selected patients with rectal cancer.