International expert consensus statement regarding radiotherapy treatment options for rectal cancer during the COVID 19 pandemic

The rapid spread of COVID19 infection across the globe is causing a health care emergency.

Our aim is to assist discussion about the risks and benefits to facilitate decision-making regarding radiotherapy for rectal cancer patients. In our roles as clinicians and as experts who have conducted clinical trials evaluating the role of radiotherapy in rectal cancer, we present our assessment of treatment options that should be considered by health care professionals in the setting of the COVID 19 pandemic. We want to minimize the risks to our patients whilst aiming to maintain cancer outcomes. We have used the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) rectal cancer guidelines as a framework to describe our recommendations