Andrea Laghi, MD

In rectal cancer, mortality rates are high and prognoses are generally poor, owing to the strong risk of metastases and local recurrence.

Colorectal carcinoma is believed to be the third most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men and women in Western countries. It is curable if detected at an early stage and preventable if precursor adenomatous polyps are detected and removed promptly.