Short-term preoperative radiotherapy reduces the risk of local recurrence in patients with rectal cancer who undergo a standardized total mesorectal excision.

Although preoperative short-term radiotherapy for rectal cancer results in increased local control, there is more long-term bowel dysfunction in irradiated patients than in patients who undergo TME alone. Rectal cancer patients should be informed on late morbidity of both radiotherapy and TME. Future strategies should be aimed at selecting patients for radiotherapy who are at high risk for local failure.