Study for Wait and Watch Suitable in Rectal Cancer

One of the standard treatment options offered to patients of locally advanced rectal cancer is neoadjuvant (treatment given before surgery) radiotherapy \& chemotherapy followed by surgery. In patients whose tumour has completely reduced after neoadjuvant treatment, the wait and watch strategy is also an option. This is another standard treatment option for patients of locally advanced rectal cancers. In this, the patient is monitored after treatment completion. In this study, investigators are only going to observe the patient's response to treatment, monitor their side-effects due to treatment and assess their quality of life using standardized quality of life questionnaires. No additional tests or hospital visits will be required as a part of this study. The patient will be followed up, as per standard follow-up protocol, for at least 2 years after the completion of their treatment.

The standard treatment options offered to patients of locally advanced rectal cancer are neoadjuvant (treatment given before surgery), radiotherapy \& chemotherapy, followed by surgery. In patients whose tumour has completely reduced after neoadjuvant treatment, the watch and wait or non-operative management is an option. In this, the patient is monitored after treatment completion. In this study, investigators will only observe the patient's response to treatment, monitor their side effects due to treatment, and assess their quality of life using standardized quality-of-life questionnaires. The patient will be followed up, as per standard follow-up protocol, for at least two years after the completion of their treatment.