Diseases of the colon and rectum
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Multicenter Study
Predicting the Risk of Bowel-Related Quality-of-Life Impairment After Restorative Resection for Rectal Cancer: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.
Restorative anterior resection is considered the optimal procedure for most patients with rectal cancer and is frequently preceded by radiotherapy. Both surgery and preoperative radiotherapy impair bowel function, which adversely affects quality of life. ⋯ Before a restorative anterior resection, patients with rectal cancer should be informed that bowel-related quality-of-life impairment is common. The key risk factors are neoadjuvant therapy and a low tumor height. This study presents quality-of-life and functional outcome data, along with a consent aid, that will enhance this preoperative patient discussion.
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Comparative Study
Treatment and Survival of Small-bowel Adenocarcinoma in the United States: A Comparison With Colon Cancer.
Small-bowel adenocarcinoma is rare and fatal. Because of data paucity, there is a tendency to extrapolate treatment from colon cancer, particularly in the adjuvant stetting. ⋯ The prognosis for small-bowel adenocarcinoma is worse than that for colon cancer, and only surgery improves survival. In contrast to colon cancer, a survival benefit from current chemotherapy regimens for small-bowel adenocarcinoma is not seen, suggesting that it may be overused and needs more rigorous study.