Inclusion Criteria:

- Age: 18 - 80

- Biooptical confirmed adenocarcinoma of the lower und middle rectum (lower edge of the
tumor located max. 14 cm of the anal verge)

- According to MRI tumor extensions into the perirectal fat tissue (cT3)

- No former chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or tumor resection of a rectum carcinoma

- WHO performance status 0 - 2

- Adequate bone marrow reserve (leucocytes - not more than 3.000/ml; thrombocytes - not
more than 100.000/ml)

- Adequate hepatic function (bilirubin - not more than 1.5 x ULN; GOT and GPT - not
more than 3.5 x ULN)

- Adequate renal function (creatinin - not more than 1.5 mg/dl)

- Women of childbearing potential: exclusion of pregnancy (negative urin or serum
pregnancy test)

- Willingness of women of childbearing potential and accordingly of potent men to use
approved contraceptives (for example birth-control pill, loop, condom) during and at
least 3 month after closure of the study

- Life expectancy of at least 3 month

- Signed written Informed Consent before recruitment

- Exclusion of distant metastases at the time of recruitment

Exclusion Criteria:

- Former radio- and/or chemotherapy

- Tumor of the upper rectum

- Any other kind of malign tumor in the last five years (except adequate treated basal
cell carcinoma of the skin, or in situ cervical carcinoma)

- Peripheral Neuropathy (NCI CTC - not higher than Grade 1)

- General contraindication or hypersensitivity against Oxaliplatin and/or Capecitabine

- Any other untreated not malign diseases: Cardiac insufficiency, angina pectoris,
hypertension or arrhythmia, hepatic diseases, significant neurological or psychiatric
disorders

- Florid, serious infection at the time of recruitment

- Legally limited capacity or evidence of a neurological or psychiatric disease, the
investigator is the opinion it will constrict the patients compliance

- Evidence of lacking willingness for cooperation of the patient

- Pregnant or breast feeding women