Sphincter-preserving Surgery After Preoperative Treatment of Ultra-low Rectal Carcinoma

This phase III trial included patients with low rectal adenocarcinoma which initially required APR, with a mean clinical distance between the tumor inferior pole and the levator ani of 0.5 cm. Patients were randomly assigned to receive high-dose radiation (45 + 18 Gy) or radiochemotherapy (45 Gy + 5FU continuous infusion). The surgical decision was based on the tumor status at surgery. All surgeons used a homogenous SSR technique such as intersphincteric resection. The primary endpoint was the SSR rate.