What is the optimal treatment for early rectal cancer? What are the relative roles of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEMS), radiotherapy, chemotherapy and resectional surgery? In cases of early rectal cancer amenable to local excision techniques, are there benefits from additional treatment modalities?
What is the best method for predicting complete pathological response to chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy prior to surgery? Do these patients require immediate resectional surgery? If not, what is the best strategy for surveillance?
What is the optimal treatment for endoscopically removed polyp cancers? When is surgical resection necessary? What is the long-term outcome of polyp cancers treated with polypectomy alone?
What are the short- and long-term outcomes after extralevator abdominoperineal excision of rectum (ELAPE)? Is there an oncological gain and is it justified?
What biomarkers (including genetic profiling) affect the response to chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer?
Why do some patients develop colorectal cancer metastases? Can early markers of metastatic disease be developed?
What is the optimal timing of resection of liver and/or lung metastases from colorectal cancer – before, during or after primary surgery?
What is the optimal method of wound closure after abdominoperineal excision of rectum (APER)? In which situations are mesh or plastic reconstruction indicated, and is there a benefit from these techniques?
Is there a benefit to preoperative (chemo)radiotherapy in T3 rectal cancer with nonthreatened margins? If so, does it justify any potential additional toxicity?
Is chemotherapy better given before or after surgery for locally advanced colon cancer? Or both before and after?
Is there a price to cancer survival after treatment for colon, rectal and anal cancer? What is the impact of treatment on quality of life? What level of poor function is justified to avoid a permanent stoma?
What is the role of delayed resection of the primary tumour in chemoresponsive metastatic colorectal cancer?
What are the optimal methods and intervals for population screening for colorectal cancer? How can uptake of screening be improved? Are there subgroups of the population who are at higher risk and should be screened earlier or at different intervals?
Which colorectal adenomas indicate significantly increased risk of future colorectal cancer? What is the optimal screening strategy for these patients?
What is the optimal surveillance strategy for patients who have undergone transanal local excision of rectal cancer?
