Health Cancer trial offers non-surgical treatment hope A major trial has found that patients with rectal cancer may be able to avoid major surgery and the need for a colostomy bag. Led by the Universities of Leeds and Birmingham, the international trial treated patients with early-stage rectal cancer, with combinations of chemotherapy and radiotherapy instead of surgery. The findings, published in Lancet Oncology and funded by Cancer Research UK, said the initial results suggested that organ‑preserving treatment may be a realistic option for many people with early rectal cancer. Cancer Research UK said the findings could be "life-changing for thousands of people". Up to 14,000 people are diagnosed with rectal cancer in the UK every year and of these, around one in three are at an early stage, according to the University of Leeds. Patients are usually treated with a complex surgical procedure called a Total Mesorectal Excision (TME), which involves the complete removal of the rectum, the surrounding fat, and lymph nodes. It has a high cure rate, but can have a significant impact and may also require a temporary or permanent colostomy bag. The trial, named STAR-TREC, set out to discover whether organ-preserving treatments - radiotherapy and chemotherapy - could help patients avoid surgery while keeping the cancer under control. Hugh Chown has been supported through his treatment by his daughter Rachel [Credit: BBC] Hugh Chown, 65, from Harrogate, was diagnosed with rectal cancer at Leeds Cancer Centre after contacting his GP after a few months of occasional bleeding. "I got the diagnosis – it was totally unexpected. I was shocked but accepting of it.