Internal hemipelvectomy in the treatment of recurrent carcinoma of the colon: report of a case.

PURPOSE

Although extended surgery has been established as an effective method for the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the colon, there are no reports in the literature of en bloc resection of the tumor together with the iliac bone. We report herein a 46-year-old woman with a second local recurrence after right colectomy, with the main objective of showing the possibility of indicating this type of surgery in selected cases.

METHODS

In view of the lack of therapeutic options for the case and the absence of metastases, extended curative surgery for recurrent carcinoma of the colon was performed, with en bloc resection of the right iliac bone and of the crural nerve (Type I internal hemipelvectomy).

RESULTS

After a 27-month follow-up, the patient is asymptomatic, with no signs of local recurrence or metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

In selected cases, recurrent carcinoma of the colon can be treated by extended and aggressive surgery, including bone resection, to obtain an appropriate safety margins.