Curative treatment of local and regional recurrences of rectal cancers.

How to select patients likely to benefit from reoperation? When a neoadjuva nt treatment is still feasible, is it useful to perform preoperative radiat ion or chemoradiation? What can be expected after resection of local recurr ences in terms of survival and quality of life? Does surveillance of patien ts operated for rectal carcinoma influence resectability of local recurrenc es and results? These are the main questions concerning the management of l ocal recurrences after resection of a rectal carcinoma. (C) 2000 Editions s cientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.