Treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer, results and prognostic factors.

摘要

PURPOSE: Assessment of the results and prognostic factors in patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer treated with curative intent. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty patients with an isolated pelvic recurrence of rectal cancer were studied retrospectively. The treatment consisted of radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy and/or surgery performed between January 1992 and July 2001. Radiotherapy was given with a 3-4 fields technique (6-15MV), five times a week. The median radiation dose was 50Gy (range 25-66.6Gy). Twenty-five patients underwent salvage surgery. Five patients were treated with concomitant chemotherapy (5-fluoro-uracil/leucovorin) (5FU/LV) during the 1st and 5th week of radiotherapy. RESULTS: Twenty-two of the 40 patients were male. The local recurrence free survival after 3 and 5 years, respectively, was 49 and 39%. Male gender was the only independent factor associated with failure of local control. The 3 and 5-year overall survival of the total group was 36 and 19%, respectively, with a median survival of 26 months. CONCLUSION: In a selection of patients in the treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer valuable local palliation if not cure, can be reached. A multimodality approach seems to offer the best chances in this threatening situation.