Abstract: Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) transfers postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer to preoperative surgery. Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy is designed to improve patient compliance and long-term survival. There are few reports on this mode of treatment in China. This article reviews the relevant researches about this mode for rectal cancer, to improve the understanding of perioperative adjuvant treatment for rectal cancer and promote the exploration of the comprehensive treatment mode for rectal cancer.