At the turn of the century, prospective randomized clinical trials supported the use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (nCRT) prior to total mesorectal excision (TME) of locally advanced rectal cancers (LARC).1,2 Few studies have determined the optimal time interval between nCRT and surgery, which is traditionally 6 to 12 weeks with the fundamental intent that extending the time interval to TME achieves further tumor regression or a pathologic complete response.