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Patient inclusion and exclusion criteria
| Inclusion criteria |
| Histologically confirmed rectal cancer |
| Total mesorectal excision with regional lymphadenectomy |
| Willingness to undergo follow-up |
| Exclusion criteria |
| Stage I rectal cancer |
| Emergency surgery |
| Presence of synchronous metastases |
| Cancer invading the adjacent organs |
| Hepatitis B or C |
| Absence of complete follow-up data |
