Treatment of Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer with Special Focus on Regional Pelvic Hyperthermia

Abstract

Progress in surgery and adjuvant therapy has markedly improved local control and survival rates in patients with primary, non-metastatic rectal cancer. However, the prognosis of patients with locally recurrent disease is still poor, and a realistic chance for repeated treatment with curative intent is still restricted to the minority of cases. Therefore, effective palliation of symptoms and preservation of a good quality of life are the major goals of therapy for most patients with local recurrence of rectal cancer. Here we give a short overview on the options available for the treatment of pelvic recurrence of rectal cancer, with special focus on adjunctive regional pelvic radiofrequency hyperthermia.

Impact of anastomotic leakage on oncological outcome after rectal cancer resection

“…The fact that only 30-50 per cent of local recurrences following rectal resection are accessible to surgical revision, with a further R0 resection possible in only 8-37 per cent 25,26 , underscores the need for a reduction in local recurrence risk. Even with resection of the recurrent tumour only 20-30 per cent of patients survive tumour free for 5 years 26 -28 .…”