Abstract
This study was designed to select factors which influence the local recurrence after curative resection for rectal cancer. The subjects were 159 such patients who were able to be followed for 2 years or more.
Local recurrence developed in 11 (6.9%) out of the 159 patients, whose 5-years survival rate was as poor as 10.9%. With a statistical analysis the important clinicopathological factors influencing the local recurrence were: Infilitrating type in macroscopic form, lymph vessel invasion, aneuploid pattern in DNA ploidy pattern by flow cytometry, and degree of lymph node dissection as operation procedure.
On the other hand, hematogenous recurrence developed in 24 (15.1%). The important factors influencing the hematogenous recurrence were: depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymph vessel invasion, and clinical staging. No correlation with operative procedures was noted.
These findings indicate that exhaustive dissection of lymph nodes is important for prevention of local recurrence and multidisciplinary therapy including chemotherapy and radiotherapy is important for prevention of hematogenous recurrence.
