Clinical Trial for Early Detection of Local Recurrence of Rectal Cancer

Norio Saitoh, Hiromi Sarashina, Masao Nunomura, Hajime Nakayama, Naoki Oda, Yoshinori Shirai, Toshio Ohmori, Keishi Kohada, Nobuhiro Takiguchi, Takahisa Sano, Tadashi Toyosawa, Shinji Yanagisawa, Kimio Saitoh, Masahiko Shimoyama, Kenji Oda, Katsuji Okui

First Department of Surgery, Chiba University School of Medicine

pelvic recurrence is an ominous event after curative resection of rectal cancer and is rarely amenable to curative re-resection by conventional method. The early diagnostic potential of the new follow up method to detect resectable local recurrence was assessed in 175 patients after curative resection of rectal cancer. The patients were divided into three groups-high, intermediate and low risk of recurrence-according to the clinicopathological factors, and followed by our new follow up regimen based on tumor markers and imaging by ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-seven recurrences (15%) were detected, 20 of the 27 patients were in the high risk group. Of the 27 patients with local recurrence, 12 (45%) had undergone reoperative surgery curatively. In conclusion, even though these findings must be confirmed by larger studies and longer follow up, the new systematic followup appears to be an effective method for early detection of local recurrence suitable for "curative" surgery.

Key words
local recurrence of rectal cancer, high risk group of local recurrence of rectal cancer, early detection of local recurrence of rectal cancer, curative re-resection of rectal cancer

Reprint requests
Norio Saitoh The First Department of Surgery, Chiba University School of Medicine
1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 280 JAPAN

Accepted
June 5, 1991

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