Neo-adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is commonly used before surgery for rectal cancer. Very low rectal cancers are still treated by abdominoperineal excision of the rectum (APER). Perineal wound complications are common after APER. There is evidence that radiotherapy increases wound complications. We wished to examine the effect of preoperative radiotherapy (SCPRT) and long course chemoradiotherapy (LCCRT) on perineal wound complications.