Local treatment of rectal cancer.

While abdominoperineal resection with permanent colostomy is still required for most distal [corrected] rectal cancers, sphincter-saving local treatment by means of local excision, electrocoagulation or endocavitary contact radiation can be used for some highly selected distal tumors. Local treatment avoids a permanent colostomy and is associated with much lower morbidity and mortality rates than abdominoperineal resection. Strict criteria for patient selection are essential to successful local treatment. Optimal candidates include patients exhibiting the following features of rectal cancer: a distal rectal cancer less than 8 cm from the anal verge; a tumor with a diameter of 3 cm or less; a tumor that is well to moderately well differentiated histologically, and a tumor that is limited to the bowel wall. Preoperative studies such as transrectal ultrasonography enhance the accuracy of preoperative staging. In properly selected patients, the results of local treatment are equivalent to those of abdominoperineal resection of comparable tumors. Close follow-up is essential, and tumor recurrence can be treated for cure by abdominoperineal resection.