Background: Pelvic exenteration is the best therapeutic choice for treatment of T4 rectal cancer. Although, this operation still presents considerable mortality and high morbidity.
Aim: To report on a series of 15 patients with a T4 rectal cancer at a general hospital and describe the outcomes (morbidity, mortality and long-term survival) following pelvic exenteration.
Methods: Complete follow-up data were available on 15 patients who underwent pelvic exenteration for T4 rectal cancer between 1998 and 2006. These subjects comprised seven men and eight women with a mean age of 65 years. All of them presented serious incapacitating complaints. The surgical procedures included: infraelevator exenteration (n = 6), supraelevator exenteration (n = 4), posterior exenteration (n = 3) and, posterior exenteration plus partial cystectomy and ureterectomy (n = 2).
Results: The mean duration of surgery was 403 minutes (280-485). The mean blood loss was 1620 mL (300-4.800). The postoperative mortality was 6,66% (n = 1). The overall rate morbidity was 53,3% (n = 8). The pathological examination showed that all resections were R0. Lymph node involvement was present in four patients (26,66 %), and all of them died due to tumor recurrence. The overall 5-year survival rate was 35,7%.
Conclusion: In spite of its aggressive nature and high morbidity, pelvic exenteration seems justified in rectal carcinoma when the disease extends to the urinary or genital tract. This procedure may offer long-term disease control.