Results: 34 patients completed the pre-operatory treatment. After evaluation of clinical and surgical study specimens, we observed variable degree of downstaging in 27 (79,5 %) patients, 5 of whom showed complete response. The 7 (20,5 %) remainig patients were assessed as stable disease. No local progression of tumours was observed. Conclusion: In this study, approximately 80 % of patients, who were staged by HR-MRI and underwent preoperative radio (chemo)-therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer, showed some degree of downstaging. We remark the fact that nearly 15 % of patients reached complete response.