Chemoradiation therapy for rectal cancer in the distal rectum followed by organ-sparing transanal endoscopic microsurgery (CARTS study)

Background This prospective multicentre study was performed to quantify the number of patients with minimal residual disease (ypT0–1) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) for rectal cancer. Methods Patients with clinically staged T1–3 N0 distal rectal cancer were treated with long-course chemoradiotherapy. Clinical response was evaluated 6–8 weeks later and TEM performed. Total mesorectal excision was...