Rectal division

Division of the upper, middle, and lower rectum [1]:

Image adapted from Surgical Anatomy of the Colon, Rectum, and Anus [Internet]. Abdominal Key. 2017 [cited 2019 May 29]. Available from: https://abdominalkey.com/surgical-anatomy-of-the-colon-rectum-and-anus/.

Measurement of rectal cancer with respect to the reference level and method:

Source: Schmoll HJ, Van Cutsem E, Stein A, Valentini V, Glimelius B, Haustermans K, et al. ESMO Consensus Guidelines for management of patients with colon and rectal cancer. A personalized approach to clinical decision making. Ann Oncol. 2012;23(10):2479–516. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mds236.

«The rectum extends from the anorectal junction to the sigmoid. The rectosigmoid junction is arbitrarily defined as 15 cm above the anorectal angle. A tumor more than 15 cm above the anorectal angle is regarded and treated as a sigmoid tumor. Rectal cancer can be divided into:

- Low rectal cancer: distal border is 0-5 cm from the anorectal angle;

- Mid rectal cancer: distal border is 5-10 cm from the anorectal angle;
- High rectal cancer: distal border is 10-15 cm from the anorectal angle.»

Source: The Radiology Assistant: Rectal Cancer - MR staging 2.0 [Internet]. Radiologyassistant.nl. 2015 [cited 2019 May 26]. Available from: http://www.radiologyassistant.nl/en/p56195b237699d/rectal-cancer-mr-staging-20.html.

Bibliographic references:

[1] UpToDate [Internet]. Uptodate.com. 2019 [cited 2019 May 26]. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/image?imageKey=SURG%2F107991&topicKey=SURG%2F17127&search=rectum%20anatomy&source=outline_link&selectedTitle=1~150.