This book seeks to promote an integrated approach among the various specialists involved in the management of rectal cancer with a view to ensuring that treatment is tailored appropriately to the individual patient. For ease of use, a question and answer format is employed. The focus is on those issues typically confronted during daily clinical practice in relation to risk factors, imaging, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The services of an outstanding panel of authors representative of the major European oncological societies have been acquired in order to formulate the questions and provide the answers. All who need assistance in addressing concerns that arise from the need for multidisciplinary management of rectal cancer will find the book to be an ideal source of helpful information.

This book is intended as the equivalent of the Swiss Army knife for all members of colorectal cancer (CRC) multidisciplinary teams and those training in the fields of CRC management. It describes how to organize the team and explains the basic principles within the different disciplines involved in the treatment and care of CRC patients. Important, up-to-date knowledge is provided on visualization techniques, surgery, oncological treatment, palliation, and pathology, with special focus on controversies and aspects of interest to all team members. Care has been taken to ensure that each specialty-specific chapter will be approachable for team members from other specialties or professions, thereby facilitating an effective interdisciplinary approach to teamwork. The authors include leading European doctors and scientists who have influenced the development of the multidisciplinary team concept as well as other aspects of high-quality, individualized treatment of CRC patients.

Rectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers world-wide. It is also a paradigm for multimodal management, as the combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy is often necessary to achieve the optimal outcome. Recently, international experts met in Heidelberg, Germany to discuss the latest developments in the management of rectal cancer, including the anatomic and pathologic basis, staging tools, surgical concepts including fast-track surgery and laparoscopic resection, functional outcome after surgery and the role of radio- and chemotherapy. This monograph summarizes this meeting and gives an extensive overview of the current concepts in management of rectal cancer.

Dramatic improvements in medicine over the last few years have resulted in more reliable and accessible diagnostics and treatment of rectal cancer. Given the complex physiopathology of this tumor, the approach should not be limited to a single specialty but should involve a number of specialties (surgery, gastroenterology, radiology, biology, oncology, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, physiotherapy) in an integrated fashion. The subtitle of this book "A Multidisciplinary Approach to Management" encompasses this concept. We have endeavored, with the help of an international group of contributors, to provide an up-to-date and authoritative account of the management of rectal tumor.

This book is a comprehensive reference work on the multidisciplinary team (MDT) management of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients that will meet the needs of all members of CRC MDTs and those training in the field. Important, up-to-date knowledge is provided on organization of MDTs, early intervention, surgery, oncology, imaging, pathology, and palliation, with special focus on controversies. This second edition has been thoroughly revised. It includes an entirely new section on the principles of treatment of significant polyps and early cancers and a total of 14 new chapters, including one on the early integration of palliative care. Every effort has been made to ensure that each specialty-specific chapter will be approachable for all team members, thereby facilitating an effective interdisciplinary approach to teamwork. The authors are leading European doctors and scientists who have influenced the development of the MDT concept as well as other aspects of individualized treatment of CRC patients.