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BackgroundAggressive management of blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol through medication and lifestyle adherence is necessary to minimize the adverse health outcomes of type 2 diabetes. However, numerous psychosocial and environmental barriers to adherence prevent low-income, urban, and ethnic minority populations from achieving their management goals, resulting in diabetes complications. Health coaches working with clinical pharmacists represent a promising strategy for addressing common diabetes management barriers. Mobile health (mHealth) tools may further enhance their ability to support vulnerable minority populations in diabetes management. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of an mHealth clinical pharmacist and health coach–delivered intervention on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, primary outcome), blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein (secondary outcomes) in African-Americans and Latinos with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. MethodsA 2-year, randomized controlled crossover study will evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth diabetes intervention delivered by a health coach and clinical pharmacist team compared with usual care. All patients will receive 1 year of team intervention, including lifestyle and medication support delivered in the home with videoconferencing and text messages. All patients will also receive 1 year of usual care without team intervention and no home visits. The order of the conditions received will be randomized. Our recruitment goal is 220 urban African-American or Latino adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c ≥8%) receiving care from a largely minority-serving, urban academic medical center. The intervention includes the following: health coaches supporting patients through home visits, phone calls, and text messaging and clinical pharmacists supporting patients through videoconferences facilitated by health coaches. Data collection includes physiologic (HbA1c, blood pressure, weight, and lipid profile) and survey measures (medication adherence, diabetes-related behaviors, and quality of life). Data collection during the second year of study will determine the maintenance of any physiological improvement among participants receiving the intervention during the first year. ResultsParticipant enrollment began in March 2017. We have recruited 221 patients. Intervention delivery and data collection will continue until November 2021. The results are expected to be published by May 2022. ConclusionsThis is among the first trials to incorporate health coaches, clinical pharmacists, and mHealth technologies to increase access to diabetes support among urban African-Americans and Latinos to achieve therapeutic goals. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/17170

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) therapy may result in significant tumor regression in patients with rectal cancer. Patients who develop complete tumor regression have been managed by treatment strategies that are alternatives to standard total mesorectal excision. Therefore, assessment of tumor response with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) after neoadjuvant treatment may offer relevant information for the selection of patients to receive alternative treatment strategies. Methods: Patients with clinical T2 (cT2) through cT4NxM0 rectal adenocarcinoma were included prospectively. Neoadjuvant therapy consisted of 54 grays of radiation and 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. Baseline PET/CT studies were obtained before CRT followed by PET/CT studies at 6 weeks and 12 weeks after the completion of CRT. Clinical assessment was performed at 12 weeks after CRT completion. PET/CT results were compared with clinical and pathologic data. Results: In total, 99 patients were included in the study. Twenty-three patients were complete responders (16 had a complete clinical response, and 7 had a complete pathologic response). The PET/CT response evaluation at 12 weeks indicated that 18 patients had a complete response, and 81 patients had an incomplete response. There were 5 false-negative and 10 false-positive PET/CT results. PET/CT for the detection of residual cancer had 93% sensitivity, 53% specificity, a 73% negative predictive value, an 87% positive predictive value, and 85% accuracy. Clinical assessment alone resulted in an accuracy of 91%. PET/CT information may have detected misdiagnoses made by clinical assessment alone, improving overall accuracy to 96%. Conclusions: Assessment of tumor response at 12 weeks after CRT completion with PET/CT imaging may provide a useful additional tool with good overall accuracy for the selection of patients who may avoid unnecessary radical resection after achieving a complete clinical response. Cancer 2012;3501-3511. © 2011 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Assessment of Burden of ColoRectal Cancer (ABCRC)-tool is an integrated tool, developed in conjunction with colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, that measures the experienced burden of disease and lifestyle parameters and visualizes the results. To provide tailored follow-up care for watch-and-wait (WW) patients, in line with their specific needs and preferences, a WW module for the ABCRC-tool was developed. In this paper we describe the development and validation process of the WW module., Methods: This study followed a multistep approach. First, a three-round Delphi survey was conducted with both patients and healthcare professionals (HP). Participants were asked to score common RC outcomes that emerged from qualitative interviews with patients and a targeted literature review. Based on included items, appropriate questions were formulated. Reliability was tested by assessing test-retest reliability, defined by Intra Class Correlation. Construct validity was evaluated by hypothesis testing., Results: A total of 128 participants (75 patients and 53 HP) from four countries (UK, Brazil, Portugal and Netherlands) participated in the Delphi survey which included 41 items. After the consensus meeting seven outcomes and appropriate questions (including anxiety, fear of recurrence, fear of surgery, fear of stoma, fecal incontinence, urgency and happiness) were included in the WW module. Validity and reliability testing was completed by 50 Dutch WW patients. The ABCRC-WW module demonstrated sound construct validity and reliability., Conclusion: This study demonstrates good psychometric properties of the ABCRC-WW tool. This tool has the potential to facilitate patient-clinician communication, enhance patients' understanding of their condition, and enable individualized care through direct feedback., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: Organ preservation has become an attractive alternative to surgery (total mesorectal excision [TME]) among patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy who achieve a clinical complete response (cCR). Nearly 30% of these patients will develop local regrowth (LR). Although salvage resection is frequently feasible, there may be an increased risk for development of subsequent distant metastases (DM). The aim of this study is to compare the risk of DM between patients with LR after Watch and Wait (WW) and patients with near-complete pathologic response (nPCR) managed by TME at the time of reassessment of response., Methods: Data from patients enrolled in the International Watch & Wait Database (IWWD) with cCR managed by WW and subsequent LR were compared with patients managed by TME (with ≤10% cancer cells-nPCR) from the Spanish Rectal Cancer Project (VIKINGO project). The primary end point was DM-free survival at 3 years from decision to WW or TME. The secondary end point was possible risk factors associated with DM., Results: Five hundred and eight patients with LR were compared with 893 patients with near-complete response after TME. Overall, DM rate was significantly higher among LRs (22.8% v 10.2%; P ≤ .001). Independent risk factors for DM included LR ( v TME at reassessment; P = .001), ypT3-4 status ( P = .016), and ypN+ status ( P = .001) at the time of surgery. 3-year DM-free survival was significantly worse for patients with LR (75% v 87%; P = .001). When stratified for pathologic stage, patients with LR did significantly worse through all stages ( P ≤ .009)., Conclusion: Patients with LR appear to have a higher risk for subsequent DM development than patients with nPCR managed by TME at restaging irrespective of final pathology. Leaving the primary undetectable tumor in situ until development of LR may result in worse oncologic outcomes.

ASCO Guidelines provide recommendations with comprehensive review and analyses of the relevant literature for each recommendation, following the guideline development process as outlined in the ASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual. ASCO Guidelines follow the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy for Clinical Practice Guidelines . Clinical Practice Guidelines and other guidance ("Guidance") provided by ASCO is not a comprehensive or definitive guide to treatment options. It is intended for voluntary use by providers and should be used in conjunction with independent professional judgment. Guidance may not be applicable to all patients, interventions, diseases or stages of diseases. Guidance is based on review and analysis of relevant literature, and is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. ASCO does not endorse third-party drugs, devices, services, or therapies and assumes no responsibility for any harm arising from or related to the use of this information. See complete disclaimer in Appendix 1 and 2 (online only) for more .PURPOSETo provide evidence-based guidance for clinicians who treat patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.METHODSA systematic review of the literature published from 2013 to 2023 was conducted to identify relevant systematic reviews, phase II and III randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and observational studies where applicable.RESULTSTwelve RCTs, two systematic reviews, and one nonrandomized study met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Expert Panel members used available evidence and informal consensus to develop evidence-based guideline recommendations.RECOMMENDATIONSFollowing assessment with magnetic resonance imaging, for patients with microsatellite stable or proficient mismatch repair locally advanced rectal cancer, total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT; ie chemoradiation [CRT] and chemotherapy) should be offered as initial treatment for patients with tumors located in the lower rectum and/or patients who are at higher risk for local and/or distant metastases. Patients without higher-risk factors may discuss chemotherapy with selective CRT depending on extent of response, TNT, or neoadjuvant long-course CRT or short-course radiation. For patients who are candidates for TNT, the preferred timing for chemotherapy is after radiation, and neoadjuvant long-course CRT is preferred over short-course radiation therapy (RT), however short-course RT may also be a viable treatment option depending on circumstances. Nonoperative management may be discussed as an alternative to total mesorectal excision for patients who have a clinical complete response to neoadjuvant therapy. For patients whose tumors are microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient, immunotherapy is recommended.Additional information is available at http://www.asco.org/gastrointestinal-cancer-guidelines.

Introduction: Local resection (LR) is an alternative to total mesorectal excision (TME) that avoids its associated morbidity to the detriment of oncological radicality in early stages of rectal cancer. There are several conditioning factors for the success of this strategy, such as poor prognosis histological factors (PPHF), involvement of resection margins, clinical under staging, or complications that may lead to the indication for radical surgery with TME., Patients and Method: An international multicenter prospective observational open-label study has been designed. Consecutive patients diagnosed with early rectal cancer (cT1N0 on MRI +/- endorectal ultrasound) whose lower limit is a maximum of 2 cm proximal to the ano-rectal junction will be included. The primary objective of the study is to determine the overall prevalence of PPHF after LR and requiring TME or postoperative radio-chemotherapy., Discussion: The prevalence of PPHF conditioning the success of LR in early distal rectal cancer has been scarcely studied in the literature, and there are very few prospective data. Considering the increasing interest in the watch and wait strategy in rectal cancer and its possible application in early-stage tumors, it seems necessary to know this information. The results of this study will help guide clinical practice in patients with early distal rectal cancer. It will also provide quality information for the design of future comparative studies to improve organ preservation success in these patients., Trial Registration Number: NCT05927584., (Copyright © 2024 AEC. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Despite decreased incidence rates in average-age onset patients in high-income economies, colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer in the world, with increasing rates in emerging economies. Furthermore, early onset colorectal cancer (age ≤50 years) is of increasing concern globally. Over the past decade, research advances have increased biological knowledge, treatment options, and overall survival rates. The increase in life expectancy is attributed to an increase in effective systemic therapy, improved treatment selection, and expanded locoregional surgical options. Ongoing developments are focused on the role of sphincter preservation, precision oncology for molecular alterations, use of circulating tumour DNA, analysis of the gut microbiome, as well as the role of locoregional strategies for colorectal cancer liver metastases. This overview is to provide a general multidisciplinary perspective of clinical advances in colorectal cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Background: A variety of definitions for a clinical near-complete response after neoadjuvant (chemo) radiotherapy for rectal cancer are currently used. This variety leads to inconsistency in clinical practice, long-term outcome, and trial enrollment., Objective: The aim of this study was to reach expert-based consensus on the definition of a clinical near-complete response after (chemo) radiotherapy., Design: A modified Delphi process, including a systematic review, 3 surveys, and 2 meetings, was performed with an international expert panel consisting of 7 surgeons and 4 radiologists. The surveys consisted of individual features, statements, and feature combinations (endoscopy, T2-weighted MRI, and diffusion-weighted MRI)., Setting: The modified Delphi process was performed in an online setting; all 3 surveys were completed online by the expert panel, and both meetings were hosted online., Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome was to reach consensus (80% or more agreement)., Results: The expert panel reached consensus on a 3-tier categorization of the near-complete response category based on the likelihood of the response to evolve into a clinical complete response after a longer waiting interval. The panelists agreed that a near-complete response is a temporary entity only to be used in the first 6 months after (chemo)radiotherapy. Furthermore, consensus was reached that the lymph node status should be considered when deciding on a near-complete response and that biopsies are not always needed when a near-complete response is found. No consensus was reached on whether primary staging characteristics have to be taken into account when deciding on a near-complete response., Limitations: This 3-tier subcategorization is expert-based; therefore, there is no supporting evidence for this subcategorization. Also, it is unclear whether this subcategorization can be generalized into clinical practice., Conclusions: Consensus was reached on the use of a 3-tier categorization of a near-complete response, which can be helpful in daily practice as guidance for treatment and to inform patients with a near-complete response on the likelihood of successful organ preservation. See Video Abstract., Un Consenso Internacional Basado En Expertos Acerca De La Definicin De Una Respuesta Clnica Casi Completa Despus De Quimioradioterapia Neoadyuvante Contra El Cncer De Recto: ANTECEDENTES:Actualmente, se utilizan una variedad de definiciones para una respuesta clínica casi completa después de quimioradioterapia neoadyuvante contra el cáncer de recto. Esta variedad resulta en inconsistencia en la práctica clínica, los resultados a largo plazo y la inscripción en ensayos.OBJETIVO:El objetivo de este estudio fue llegar a un consenso de expertos sobre la definición de una respuesta clínica casi completa después de quimioradioterapia.DISEÑO:Se realizó un proceso Delphi modificado que incluyó una revisión sistemática, 3 encuestas y 2 reuniones con un panel internacional de expertos compuesto por siete cirujanos y 4 radiólogos. Las encuestas consistieron en características individuales, declaraciones y combinaciones de características (endoscopía, T2W-MRI y DWI).AJUSTE:El proceso Delphi modificado se realizó en un entorno en línea; el panel de expertos completó las tres encuestas en línea y ambas reuniones se realizaron en línea.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:El resultado principal fue llegar a un consenso (≥80% de acuerdo).RESULTADOS:El panel de expertos llegó a un consenso sobre una categorización de tres niveles de la categoría de respuesta casi completa basada en la probabilidad de que la respuesta evolucione hacia una respuesta clínica completa después de un intervalo de espera más largo. Los panelistas coincidieron en que una respuesta casi completa es una entidad temporal que sólo debe utilizarse en los primeros 6 meses después de la quimioradioterapia. Además, se llegó a un consenso en que se debe considerar el estado de los nódulos linfáticos al decidir sobre una respuesta casi completa y que no siempre se necesitan biopsias cuando se encuentra una respuesta casi completa. No se llegó a un consenso sobre si se deben tener en cuenta las características primarias de estadificación al decidir una respuesta casi completa.LIMITACIONES:Esta subcategorización de 3 niveles está basada en expertos; por lo tanto, no hay evidencia que respalde esta subcategorización. Además, no está claro si esta subcategorización puede generalizarse a la práctica clínica.CONCLUSIONES:Se alcanzó consenso sobre el uso de una categorización de 3 niveles de una respuesta casi completa que puede ser útil en la práctica diaria como guía para el tratamiento y para informar a los pacientes con una respuesta casi completa sobre la probabilidad de una preservación exitosa del órgano. (Traducción - Dr. Aurian Garcia Gonzalez)., (Copyright © The ASCRS 2024.)

Purpose: No biomarker capable of improving selection and monitoring of patients with rectal cancer managed by watch-and-wait (W&W) strategy is currently available. Prognostic performance of the Immunoscore biopsy (IS B ) was recently suggested in a preliminary study., Methods: This international validation study included 249 patients with clinical complete response (cCR) managed by W&W strategy. Intratumoral CD3+ and CD8+ T cells were quantified on pretreatment rectal biopsies by digital pathology and converted to IS B . The primary end point was time to recurrence (TTR; the time from the end of neoadjuvant treatment to the date of local regrowth or distant metastasis). Associations between IS B and outcomes were analyzed by stratified Cox regression adjusted for confounders. Immune status of tumor-draining lymph nodes (n = 161) of 17 additional patients treated by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery was investigated by 3'RNA-Seq and immunofluorescence., Results: Recurrence-free rates at 5 years were 91.3% (82.4%-100.0%), 62.5% (53.2%-73.3%), and 53.1% (42.4%-66.5%) with IS B High, IS B Intermediate, and IS B Low, respectively (hazard ratio [HR; Low v High], 6.51; 95% CI, 1.99 to 21.28; log-rank P = .0004). IS B was also significantly associated with disease-free survival (log-rank P = .0002), and predicted both local regrowth and distant metastasis. In multivariate analysis, IS B was independent of patient age, sex, tumor location, cT stage (T, primary tumor; c, clinical), cN stage (N, regional lymph node; c, clinical), and was the strongest predictor for TTR (HR [IS B High v Low], 6.93; 95% CI, 2.08 to 23.15; P = .0017). The addition of IS B to a clinical-based model significantly improved the prediction of recurrence. Finally, B-cell proliferation and memory in draining lymph nodes was evidenced in the draining lymph nodes of patients with cCR., Conclusion: The IS B is validated as a biomarker to predict both local regrowth and distant metastasis, with a gradual scaling of the risk of pejorative outcome.

Background: A proportion of rectal cancer patients who achieve a clinical complete response may develop local regrowth. Although salvage appears to provide appropriate local control, the risk of distant metastases is less known., Objective: To compare the risk of distant metastases between patients who achieve a clinical complete response (watch-and-wait strategy) and subsequent local regrowth and patients managed by surgery after chemoradiation., Design: Retrospective multicenter cohort study., Settings: This study used data of patients from 3 institutions who were treated between 1993 and 2019., Patients: Patients with initial clinical complete response (after neoadjuvant therapy) followed by local regrowth and patients with near-complete pathological response (≤10%) after straightforward surgery after chemoradiation were included., Main Outcome Measures: Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for distant metastases. Kaplan-Meier curves were created (log-rank test) to compare survival outcomes. Analyses were performed using time zero as last day of radiation therapy or as date of salvage resection in the local regrowth group., Results: Twenty-one of 79 patients with local regrowth developed distant metastases, whereas only 10 of 74 after upfront total mesorectal excision following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy ( p  = 0.04). Local regrowth and final pathology (ypT3-4) were the only independent risk factors associated with distant metastases. When using date of salvage resection as time zero, distant metastases-free survival rates were significantly inferior for patients with local regrowth (70% vs 86%; p  = 0.01)., Limitations: Small number of patients, many neoadjuvant therapies, and selection bias., Conclusions: Patients undergoing watch-and-wait strategy who develop local regrowth are at higher risk for development of distant metastases compared to patients with near-complete pathological response managed by upfront surgery after chemoradiation. See Video Abstract., Nuevo Crecimiento Local Y El Riesgo De Metstasis a Distancia Entre Pacientes Sometidos a Observacin Y Espera Por Cncer De Recto Cul Es El Mejor Grupo De Control Estudio Retrospectivo Muticntrico: ANTECEDENTES:Una proporción de pacientes que logran una respuesta clínica completa pueden desarrollar un nuevo crecimiento local. Si bien el rescate parece proporcionar un control local apropiado, el riesgo de metástasis a distancia es menos conocido.OBJETIVO:Comparar el riesgo de metástasis a distancia entre los pacientes que logran una respuesta clínica completa (estrategia de observación y espera) y el nuevo crecimiento local posterior con los pacientes tratados con cirugía después de la quimiorradiación.DISEÑO:Estudio de cohorte multicéntrico retrospectivo.CONFIGURACIÓN:Este estudio utilizó datos de pacientes de 3 instituciones que fueron tratados entre 1993 y 2019.PACIENTES:Pacientes con respuesta clínica completa inicial (después de la terapia neoadyuvante) seguida de crecimiento local nuevo y pacientes con respuesta patológica casi completa (≤10 %) después de cirugía directa después de quimiorradiación.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Se realizó un análisis univariante/multivariante para identificar los factores de riesgo de metástasis a distancia. Se crearon curvas de Kaplan-Meier (prueba de rango logarítmico) para comparar los resultados de supervivencia. El análisis se realizó utilizando el tiempo cero como último día de radioterapia (1) o como fecha de resección de rescate (2) en el grupo de recrecimiento local.RESULTADOS:Veintiuno de 79 pacientes con recrecimiento local desarrollaron metástasis a distancia, mientras que solo 10 de 74 después de una cirugía sencilla (p = 0,04). El recrecimiento local y la patología final (ypT3-4) fueron los únicos factores de riesgo independientes asociados con las metástasis a distancia. Cuando se utilizó la fecha de la resección de rescate como tiempo cero, las tasas de supervivencia sin metástasis a distancia fueron significativamente inferiores para los pacientes con recrecimiento local (70 frente a 86 %; p = 0,01).LIMITACIONES:Pequeño número de pacientes, muchas terapias neoadyuvantes, sesgo de selección.CONCLUSIONES:Los pacientes sometidos a observación y espera que desarrollan un nuevo crecimiento local tienen un mayor riesgo de desarrollar metástasis a distancia en comparación con los pacientes con una respuesta patológica casi completa manejados con cirugía por adelantado después de la quimiorradiación. (Traducción-Dr. Xavier Delgadillo )., (Copyright © The ASCRS 2023.)

Background: The optimal treatment of anastomotic leak after rectal cancer resection is unclear. This worldwide cohort study aimed to provide an overview of four treatment strategies applied., Methods: Patients from 216 centres and 45 countries with anastomotic leak after rectal cancer resection between 2014 and 2018 were included. Treatment was categorized as salvage surgery, faecal diversion with passive or active (vacuum) drainage, and no primary/secondary faecal diversion. The primary outcome was 1-year stoma-free survival. In addition, passive and active drainage were compared using propensity score matching (2 : 1)., Results: Of 2470 evaluable patients, 388 (16.0 per cent) underwent salvage surgery, 1524 (62.0 per cent) passive drainage, 278 (11.0 per cent) active drainage, and 280 (11.0 per cent) had no faecal diversion. One-year stoma-free survival rates were 13.7, 48.3, 48.2, and 65.4 per cent respectively. Propensity score matching resulted in 556 patients with passive and 278 with active drainage. There was no statistically significant difference between these groups in 1-year stoma-free survival (OR 0.95, 95 per cent c.i. 0.66 to 1.33), with a risk difference of -1.1 (95 per cent c.i. -9.0 to 7.0) per cent. After active drainage, more patients required secondary salvage surgery (OR 2.32, 1.49 to 3.59), prolonged hospital admission (an additional 6 (95 per cent c.i. 2 to 10) days), and ICU admission (OR 1.41, 1.02 to 1.94). Mean duration of leak healing did not differ significantly (an additional 12 (-28 to 52) days)., Conclusion: Primary salvage surgery or omission of faecal diversion likely correspond to the most severe and least severe leaks respectively. In patients with diverted leaks, stoma-free survival did not differ statistically between passive and active drainage, although the increased risk of secondary salvage surgery and ICU admission suggests residual confounding., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd.)

Objective: To develop and validate a prediction model (STOMA score) for 1-year stoma-free survival in patients with rectal cancer (RC) with anastomotic leakage (AL)., Background: AL after RC resection often results in a permanent stoma., Methods: This international retrospective cohort study (TENTACLE-Rectum) encompassed 216 participating centres and included patients who developed AL after RC surgery between 2014 and 2018. Clinically relevant predictors for 1-year stoma-free survival were included in uni and multivariable logistic regression models. The STOMA score was developed and internally validated in a cohort of patients operated between 2014 and 2017, with subsequent temporal validation in a 2018 cohort. The discriminative power and calibration of the models' performance were evaluated., Results: This study included 2499 patients with AL, 1954 in the development cohort and 545 in the validation cohort. Baseline characteristics were comparable. One-year stoma-free survival was 45.0% in the development cohort and 43.7% in the validation cohort. The following predictors were included in the STOMA score: sex, age, American Society of Anestesiologist classification, body mass index, clinical M-disease, neoadjuvant therapy, abdominal and transanal approach, primary defunctioning stoma, multivisceral resection, clinical setting in which AL was diagnosed, postoperative day of AL diagnosis, abdominal contamination, anastomotic defect circumference, bowel wall ischemia, anastomotic fistula, retraction, and reactivation leakage. The STOMA score showed good discrimination and calibration (c-index: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.66-0.76)., Conclusions: The STOMA score consists of 18 clinically relevant factors and estimates the individual risk for 1-year stoma-free survival in patients with AL after RC surgery, which may improve patient counseling and give guidance when analyzing the efficacy of different treatment strategies in future studies., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

As watch and wait has become an attractive management alternative among patients with rectal cancer who achieve a clinical complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation, the focus of organ preservation has now shifted toward the use of this approach in patients with early rectal cancer. These patients would otherwise be treated without the use of neoadjuvant therapy for oncological reasons. The sole purpose of any neoadjuvant treatment here would be the achievement of a complete clinical response in an attempt to avoid total mesorectal excision. This has become particularly interesting after the incorporation of total neoadjuvant therapy regimens. These regimens have resulted in significantly higher rates of complete tumor regression and therefore become an interesting alternative among early rectal cancer patients where organ preservation is desired. The present review provides an overview of the currently available evidence and the preliminary experience with this rather controversial approach., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest B.B.V., G.P.S.J., and R.O.P. have received honoraria from Johnson & Johnson not associated with the present study., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)