PALLIATIVE TREATMENT FOR RECTAL-CARCINOMA USING A UROLOGICAL RESECTOSCOPE

Palliative treatment for patients with rectal carcinoma concerns more than 10% of the 8000 cases diagnosed each year in France. Seventeen pa tients (median age: 83 years) underwent 27 endoscopic transanal resect ions using a urological resectoscope. The morbidity was 18.5% and ther e were no postoperative deaths, The median hospital stay for the proce dure alone was 4 days. Local control was obtained in 13 (76%) patients with good palliation of obstruction, bleeding and tenesmus. The mean survival time was six months. This simple, minimally invasive and econ omic method should be part of palliative treatment for patients with r ectal carcinoma together with laser destruction and external beam radi otherapy.