Hyo Seon Ryu, Hyun Jung Kim, Dong Hyun Kang, Yoo-Kang Kwak, Han Deok Kwak, Yoon-Hye Kwon, Dalyong Kim, Baek-Hui Kim, Jae Hyun Kim, Ji Hun Kim, Jin Won Kim, Tae Hyung Kim, Hae Young Kim, Soo Min Nam, Gyoung Tae Noh, Jun Woo Bong, Nak Song Sung, Seon Hui Shin, Kil-Yong Lee, Sung Chul Lee, Sea-Won Lee, Jung Won Lee, Jong Min Lee, Myung Hoon Ihn, Joo Han Lim, Woong Bae Ji, Dae Hee Pyo, Young Ki Hong, Jung-Myun Kwak, on behalf of the Korean Rectal Cancer Multidisciplinary (KRCM) Committee
Ann Coloproctol. 2026;42(1):4-33. Published online February 24, 2026
Rectal cancer, which accounts for approximately 40% of colorectal cancers, remains a major clinical concern. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging, surgical techniques, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment have steadily improved rectal cancer outcomes. Considering this, the Korean Rectal Cancer Multidisciplinary (KRCM) Committee has aimed to provide clinicians and policymakers with up-to-date, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to support optimal decision-making, reflecting current evidence, the Korean healthcare context, and patient values and preferences. The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rectal Cancer version 2.0 were developed through multidisciplinary collaboration with related academic societies, building upon and updating the KRCM Clinical Practice Guidelines version 1.0 (titled “Multidisciplinary guidelines for the management of rectal cancer”). These consensus guidelines of the KRCM were established based on a comprehensive literature review, evidence synthesis, with recommendation development guided by the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology, and consideration of applicability in real-world clinical practice under the national health insurance system. Each recommendation has been presented with its strength and level of evidence.
Hyo Seon Ryu, Hyun Jung Kim, Woong Bae Ji, Byung Chang Kim, Ji Hun Kim, Sung Kyung Moon, Sung Il Kang, Han Deok Kwak, Eun Sun Kim, Chang Hyun Kim, Tae Hyung Kim, Gyoung Tae Noh, Byung-Soo Park, Hyeung-Min Park, Jeong Mo Bae, Jung Hoon Bae, Ni Eun Seo, Chang Hoon Song, Mi Sun Ahn, Jae Seon Eo, Young Chul Yoon, Joon-Kee Yoon, Kyung Ha Lee, Kyung Hee Lee, Kil-Yong Lee, Myung Su Lee, Sung Hak Lee, Jong Min Lee, Ji Eun Lee, Han Hee Lee, Myong Hoon Ihn, Je-Ho Jang, Sun Kyung Jeon, Kum Ju Chae, Jin-Ho Choi, Dae Hee Pyo, Gi Won Ha, Kyung Su Han, Young Ki Hong, Chang Won Hong, Jung-Myun Kwak, Korean Colon Cancer Multidisciplinary Committee
Ann Coloproctol. 2024;40(2):89-113. Published online April 30, 2024
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Korea and the third leading cause of death from cancer. Treatment outcomes for colon cancer are steadily improving due to national health screening programs with advances in diagnostic methods, surgical techniques, and therapeutic agents.. The Korea Colon Cancer Multidisciplinary (KCCM) Committee intends to provide professionals who treat colon cancer with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve outcomes and help them make decisions that reflect their patients’ values and preferences. These guidelines have been established by consensus reached by the KCCM Guideline Committee based on a systematic literature review and evidence synthesis and by considering the national health insurance system in real clinical practice settings. Each recommendation is presented with a recommendation strength and level of evidence based on the consensus of the committee.
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Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of lymph node yield (LNY) for survival outcomes according to tumor response after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) in patients with rectal cancer.
Methods This study was a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary center. A total of 1,240 patients with clinical stage II or III rectal cancer who underwent curative resection after PCRT between 2007 and 2016 were included. Patients were categorized into the good response group (tumor regression grade [TRG], 0–1) or poor response group (TRG, 2–3). Propensity score matching was performed for age, sex, and pathologic stage between LNY of ≥12 and LNY of <12 within tumor response group. The primary outcome was 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).
Results LNY and positive lymph nodes were inversely correlated with TRG. In good responders, 5-year DFS and 5-year OS of patients with LNY of <12 were better than those with LNY of ≥12, but there was no statistical significance. In poor responders, the LNY of <12 group had worse survival outcomes than the LNY of ≥12 group, but there was also no statistical significance. LNY of ≥12 was not associated with DFS and OS in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion LNY of <12 showed contrasting outcomes between the good and poor responders in 5-year DFS and OS. LNY of 12 may not imply adequate oncologic surgery or proper staging in rectal cancer patients treated by PCRT. Furthermore, a decrease in LNY should be comprehended differently according to tumor response.
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