ESMO Guidelines: Real World Cases - Webinar Series: Rectal Cancer 2025

Description

This ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines Webinar focused on rectal cancer and its application in a real-world case.

Rectal cancer constitutes approximately one-third of all colorectal cancer cases, which is itself the third most common cancer worldwide with nearly 2 million new cases and over 900,000 deaths annually. With an incidence rate of 15–25 per 100,000 individuals annually in the European Union, rectal cancer presents significant clinical challenges.

Advances in neoadjuvant chemo- and chemoradiotherapy, total mesorectal excision, and non-operative management have improved survival and organ preservation rates but introduced complexity in treatment planning. Distant recurrence rates remain as high as 20–30% in many patients. Considerations to further improve treatment and outcomes include novel diagnostic techniques, surgical interventions, and systemic therapies, underscoring the importance of personalised treatment plans.

Given the evolving therapeutic landscape and the complexity of managing disease progression, a webinar focusing on the ESMO guidelines provides a timely platform to disseminate critical information, refine treatment strategies, discuss practical applications, address organ preservation challenges, and improve long-term outcomes in rectal cancer care.