[Local recurrence of rectal carcinoma after abdomino-perineal resection (author's translation)].

From 1970 to 1974 165 patients suffering from rectal cancer underwent surgery at the Central Institute for Cancer Research of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR. In 112 patients abdomino-perineal excision of the rectum and rectosigmoid was performed for curative purposes. Subsequently local recurrences developed in 28 patients (25%). At the end of the 2nd postoperative year 82% of all patients had recurrences. In most cases only a palliative treatment of the recurrence could be established. From 9 patients with recurrences curatively treated only 3 survived for 5 years.--In a small subgroup of patients with postoperative irradiation a pelvic recurrence could be proved only once, whereas chemotherapy (mostly intraluminal) did not influence the rate of recurrences.--Obviously, early treatment of the primary tumour and local recurrence can be regarded as the only measure for improving the survival rate. It is too early for the evaluation of adjuvant therapy to be determined exactly.