Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both genders in the region with the rectum being the most common named site for cancer development.  A significant number of these patients present with locally advanced disease (T3/4 or nodal involvement) (1).  Compared with other parts of the colorectum, patients with cancer of the middle and lower rectum are at high risk of local and sys-temic failure and death even with skilled surgery.  There is an important role for radiotherapy in improving outcome from this cancer and the Swedish Rectal Cancer Trial clearly established the benefits of neo-adjuvant short course radio-therapy (SCR).