- Patients with prior malignancy in the past 5 years except: skin cancer or in-situ cervical cancer. However, patients with synchronous adenocarcinomas are eligible provided either (a) the synchronous adenocarcinoma was in a removed pedunculated polyp and did not invade the stalk or (b) the synchronous adenocarcinoma was in a removed polyp that lay within the surgical field (extent of resection would not be changed) or (c) the synchronous adenocarcinoma is smaller than the index rectal cancer and lies completely within the radiation field (clinically favorable second lesion and the extend of radiation and surgery would not be changed).