Background: Surgery is the only curative treatment in patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome and the prognostic factors of tumour-free resection margin (R0) and overall survival (OS) in LRRC.
Methods: Consecutive LRRC patients observed between 1987 and 2005 in three Italian university hospitals were evaluated. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. In order to identify factors associated with both R0 resection and OS, a logistic regression analysis was performed in patients who underwent surgery with curative intent.
Results: Out of 150 patients with LRRC, 107 underwent surgery, but since 7 were found to have unresectable disease only 100 underwent surgical resection. Of them, 51 underwent radical and 49 extended resection. Sixty of the 107 patients underwent multimodality treatment. In 61 patients, R0 resection was achieved. Median OS after surgery was 43.4 months. In patients, who had surgery with curative intent, independent variables associated with R0 resection were: surgery for the primary tumour performed in other hospitals (p = 0.042) extended resection (p = 0.025) and use of positron emission tomography (PET) as a staging modality (p = 0.03). Independent variables associated with OS were: post-operative radiotherapy (p = 0.004), stage of the primary tumour (p = 0.004), R0 resection (p = 0.00001), and use of PET (0.02).
Conclusions: Resection for LRRC results in improved survival. Other than the well-known prognostic factors R0 resection and OS, PET scan has an independent impact both on OS and R0 resection. It should therefore be included in routine clinical practice when staging LRRC.