Timing to Minimally Invasive Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

This international study is comparing two different timing strategies for surgery in rectal cancer patients who have finished their pre-surgery chemotherapy and radiation treatment: waiting the standard 7–8 weeks versus waiting longer (11–12 weeks), to see which gives the best chance of the tumor shrinking completely before removal. **You may be eligible if...** - You are over 18 years old - You have been diagnosed with rectal cancer (adenocarcinoma) confirmed by biopsy - Your cancer is located in the lower or middle part of the rectum (within 15 cm of the anal opening) - Your cancer has not spread to distant organs (no metastases) - You are eligible for minimally invasive (laparoscopic or robotic) surgery - You are eligible for pre-surgery chemotherapy and radiation treatment **You may NOT be eligible if...** - Your cancer has spread to other organs - You have anal canal squamous carcinoma (a different type of cancer) - You have inflammatory bowel disease or hereditary colorectal cancer - You are pregnant - You have previously had pelvic radiation - You have participated in another rectal cancer trial on the same topic Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.