Hi, I was diagnosed with rectal cancer in October 2025 and have been going through the motions of tests, MDTs and treatment options ever since.

After APER surgery being the only treatment option initially proposed by the MDT, the 3rd MDT meeting finally agreed that contact radiotherapy is the best organ preserving solution.

However, the polyp that was removed was 4cm from the bottom of my rectum which is classed as low, was removed piecemeal and wasn't tattooed on removal. This means there's a possibility they won't be able to find the target for successful contact radiotherapy.

This leaves APER surgery and EBRT (external beam radiotherapy) as the only 2 options left. They both carry their own long-term risks and side effects - I'm just wondering if I'm just delaying the inevitable by opting for EBRT at this stage? There's still the chance I'll need surgery in the future with recurrence or unsuccessful radiotherapy.

I'd appreciate any experience or opinion you have on this decision.