Story Brief

Lancet Oncology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(26)00228-7 A new treatment for earlier-stage rectal cancer could transform how patients are treated for the disease, according to a landmark clinical trial. The clinical trial was coordinated by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham, with academics from UCL and the University of Leeds. The trial found that chemoradiotherapy , with rectum-preserving surgery only when needed, allowed four in five patients to keep their rectum, sparing them major side effects.

AI summaries can be wrong sometimes—always verify important details using the source article.