Management of carcinoma of the rectum and anus without abdominoperineal resection.

Since 1979, 16 patients with cancer of the rectum and anus have been treated without abdominoperineal resection. All have received radiotherapy. Nine of these had local excision before receiving radiotherapy. There has been no evidence of recurrent cancer in 15 of the 16 patients with a median follow-up period of 24 months (range 14 to 52 months) for a recurrence rate of 6 percent. We conclude that limited excision, radiotherapy, or both are viable alternatives to abdominoperineal resection of small, early cancers of the rectum and anus.