1. The evolution of a concept : the total mesorectal excision story / R.J. Heald --;2. Anatomy of the rectum, anal canal and pelvic floor / Thilo Wedel --;3. Clinical ultrasound / Oliver Shihab, Arcot K. Venkatasubramaniam --;4. Magnetic resonance imaging staging of rectal cancer / Peter How, Gina Brown --;5. Radiological staging for systemic disease / Gina Brown, Chris Hunter 6. Preoperative radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer / Rob Glynne-Jones, Mark Harrison --;7. Total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer / Brendan Moran --;8. Abdominoperineal excision of the rectum / Torbjr̲n Holm --;9. Laparoscopic surgery / Katharine E. Bevan, Tom D. Cecil --;10. Robotic total mesorectal excision / M. Chadwick, H.S. Tilney, A.M. Gudgeon --;11. Local excision and transanal endoscopic microsurgery / Wolfgang B. Gaertner, David A. Rothenberger --;12. Pathology assessment / Philip Quirke, Tim Palmer, Gordon G.A. Hutchins, Nick P. West --;13. Assessment and management of recurrence / Peter J. Lee, Kirk K.S. Austin, Michael J. Solomon --;14. Lateral pelvic side-wall nodal involvement in rectal cancer / Hideaki Yano, Brendan Moran --;15. Intestinal stoma and the role of defunctioning a low anastomosis after anterior resection / David Mitchell, Kandiah Chandrakumaran, Steven Arnold --;16. Quality of life in patients undergoing abdominoperineal excision and anterior resection for rectal cancer / Peter How, Kandiah Chandrakumaran.