Between 1963 and 1980, there were 151 resections by patients with rectal cancer. A good postoperative reanimation has decreased the mortality enormously. The corrected five years survival-rate comes to 58.5%. The corrected ten years survival-rate comes to 49.7%; 58.3% of the patients has been treated with sphincter-saving procedures. Though a bigger margin is desirable, a resection of three centimeters under the macroscopic most distal part of the tumor would be sufficient to remove eventual intramural spread. For a sufficient continence one needs : the internal and the external sphincter, the musculus levator ani, and the last centimeters of rectal mucosa at the same height of the anal canal till the linea pectinea. This is pursued with sphincter-saving operations. The younger the patient is the better the function. Psycho-social considerations play a prominent part in the treating of the patient and the evaluation of the results.