Can a less invasive surgery plus radiation match major surgery for rectal cancer?
NCT ID NCT04098471
First seen Jul 28, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial compares two treatments for people with early-stage (T2) rectal cancer located near the anus. One group receives a less invasive procedure called transanal local excision followed by radiotherapy, while the other group undergoes standard major surgery (total mesorectal excision). The goal is to see whether the less invasive approach can achieve similar cancer control and survival rates while possibly offering better quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transanal local excision following radiotherapy or total mesorectal excision
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that a less invasive surgery combined with radiotherapy is as effective as major surgery for early rectal cancer, potentially preserving quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial with 168 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The less invasive approach might carry a higher risk of cancer recurrence.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Colorectal Surgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
RECRUITINGNanjing, Jiangsu, China
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