R-TME in rectal cancer is feasible, with short-term oncologic and other outcomes similar to those of L-TME. The greater maneuverability and visibility afforded by the robotic approach are attractive. Future studies should more systematically address advantages and costs of R-TME.

Central venous insertion modality and sites had no impact on either early or late complication rates, but US-guided subclavian insertion showed the lowest proportion of failures.

MDCT and FDG-PET/CT showed high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of local recurrence of rectal cancer. Both techniques were equally accurate for the detection of hepatic metastases. MDCT showed slightly higher sensitivity and positive predictive value in detecting pulmonary metastases compared with FDG-PET/CT.