Can we <i>S</i>ave the rectum by watchful waiting or <i>T</i>rans<i>A</i>nal microsurgery following (chemo) <i>R</i>adiotherapy versus <i>T</i>otal mesorectal excision for early <i>RE</i>ctal <i>C</i>ancer (STAR-TREC study)?: protocol for a multicentre, randomised feasibility study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the highly effective standard treatment for rectal cancer but is associated with significant morbidity and may be overtreatment for low-risk cancers. This study is designed to determine the feasibility of international recruitment in a study comparing organ-saving approaches versus standard TME surgery.

Methods and analysis

STAR-TREC trial is a multicentre international randomised, three-arm parallel, phase II feasibility study in patients with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the rectum. The trial is coordinated from Birmingham, UK with national hubs in Radboudumc (the Netherlands) and Odense University Hospital Svendborg UMC (Denmark). Patients with rectal cancer, staged by CT and MRI as ≤cT3b (up to 5 mm of extramural spread)

SUBMITTER: Rombouts AJM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5770914 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature