What question does this research address?
Rectal cancer that comes back close to the site of the original tumour after treatment is known as locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC). The only treatment which can sometimes cure LRRC is surgery, which is often done alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Many patients have radiotherapy during their first round of treatment, but there is not enough evidence whether it is safe and beneficial to use it again when the cancer returns.
How will this study work?
This clinical trial will examine whether patients who undergo treatment for LRRC can be given radiotherapy safely, how much of a beneficial effect it has, and the impacts on their long-term quality of life.
The research team
This application was led by Miss Deena Harji, a researcher and colorectal surgeon at the University of Leeds.