Mesorectal Microfoci Adversely Affect the Prognosis of Patients With Rectal Cancer

Abstract

The incidence of neoplastic foci in the mesorectum is high, even in early staged tumors and despite aggressive preoperative treatment. They seem to affect prognosis. Such features should, therefore, be considered when local excision of the tumor is planned. Presence of mesorectal foci should modify conventional staging of the rectal tumor.

Prognostic significance of circumferential margin involvement in rectal adenocarcinoma treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and low anterior resection

“…At preoperative clinical evaluation, these tumors were tethered or fixed; with administration of preoperative chemoradiotherapy, these tumors were converted into mobile tumors and surgery was possible. In these patients, discontinuous tumor deposits in perirectal adipose tissue between 2 and 5 cm from main tumor with no evidence of lymph node involvement were reported and associated with worse prognosis [14]. Furthermore, the present AJCC tumor classification [8] regards pNþ only those tumor deposits in which the nodule has the form and smooth contour of lymph node; if the nodule has an irregular contour, it should be classified in the T category and also coded as venous invasion.…”

Ghost ileostomy after anterior resection for rectal cancer: a preliminary experience

“…The gold standard in the treatment of subperitoneal rectal cancer is the anterior resection with total mesorectal excision (TME) with open technique or laparoscopy [20]. The TME has been associated with a high anastomotic leakage rate [21].…”

Unusual recurrent rectal carcinoma: A cancer field theory viewpoint

“…[1][2][3] ). Approximately half of recurring carcinomas are localized in the true pelvis without the presence of distant metastases.…”