Reresection for local recurrence of rectal cancer

Local recurrence is one of the major reasons that rectal cancer surgery is unsuccessful. The aim of this study was to investigate the surgical charact eristics of patients undergoing reresection for local recurrence of rectal cancer, A total of nine patients were enrolled in this study, six of whom u nderwent total pelvic exenteration, one, posterior exenteration, one, abdom inoperineal resection with sacral resection, and one, lymph node dissection alone. The mean operative time was 8h 15min, and the mean operative blood loss was 2325ml. Although major postoperative complications occurred in fou r patients (44%), there were no postoperative or hospital deaths. Lateral l ymph node metastasis was detected in all four patients whose lateral lymph nodes were dissected or extirpated at the reresection. Two patients survive d for more than 5 years without rerecurrence, and the cumulative 5-year sur vival rate was 26%, The para-aortic lymph nodes were the most common site o f first rerecurrence. The results of this study indicate that patients who undergo reresection for local recurrence of rectal cancer are at high risk of developing lateral or para-aortic nodal metastasis. Nevertheless, rerese ction may be a therapeutic option for the local recurrence of rectal cancer .