Participants
adenocarcinoma of the rectum
ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE RECTUM
Patients had to be at least 18 years old and have a histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the rectum at or below 15 cm from the anal verge. All patients underwent a preoperative CT scan of the chest and abdomen, pelvic MRI, and endorectal ultrasound. All patients were preoperatively evaluated at a multidisciplinary team (MDT) conference. Only patients scheduled for LAR with curative intention were considered eligible.