Long-term outcome of patients with locally resected high- and low-risk rectal carcinoid tumors.

BACKGROUND

Tumor size and lymphovascular invasion are known high-risk factors for lymph node and distant metastasis in patients with rectal carcinoid tumors. However, the optimal treatment for these tumors remains controversial.

AIM

The aim of this paper is to compare the outcome of local or radical resection between patients with high-risk (tumor size >10 mm or lymphovascular invasion) disease and those with low-risk (tumor size ≤10 mm, no lymphovascular invasion) disease.

METHODS

Patients with rectal carcinoid tumors treated between January 1990 and March 2010 were identified retrospectively and classified into low- and high-risk groups.

RESULTS

In total, 83 patients with rectal carcinoid tumors were included, 53 (64%) of whom were identified as low-risk and 30 (36%) as high-risk. Local resection was performed in 50 (60%) low-risk and 24 (29%) high-risk patients, and postoperative recurrence was observed in one (1%) of the high-risk patients who underwent local resection and one (11%) who underwent radical resection. No recurrence was observed in the low-risk group. Kaplan-Meier analysis of the patients who underwent local resection revealed that the 10-year disease-free survival rate was 100% in the low-risk group and 83.3% in the high-risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant difference in outcome between local and radical resection.