Timing to Minimally Invasive Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

The trial is a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled, unblinded, parallel-group trial comparing standard and delayed surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for the curative treatment of rectal cancer. Three-hundred and thirty-two patients will be randomized on an equal basis to either robotic-assisted/standard laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery after 8 weeks or robotic-assisted/standard laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery after 12 weeks. The recruiting interval will be of 5 years and the follow-up period will end 5 years after the last patient is randomized.