Tumor characteristics
Tumors, tumor, tumors
TUMORS, TUMOR, TUMORS
Median tumor height was 5.8 cm from the anal verge (IQR 4.5–7.0). Tumors were preoperatively staged as clinical stage I (35%), stage II (22%), or stage III (43%). Among stage I tumors, 8 cT1N0 or cT1/2N0 patients underwent completion taTME after local excision and uncovered high-risk histopathological features (poor differentiation, lymphovascular invasion, high tumor budding, and positive margin) warranting radical resection based on MDT consensus recommendations (Table 