ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the risk factors associated with lymphatic metastasis of T2 rectal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A consecutive series of 122 patients with T2 rectal cancer who underwent radical surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from 2006 to 2011 were included for retrospective analysis. Risk factors associated with lymphatic metastasis were investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rate of lymph node metastasis was 21.3% (26/122). Distance to anal verge(P<0.05), morphological type(P<0.05), histological type(P<0.05), tumor differentiation(P<0.05), and depth of invasion(P<0.05) were risk factors for lymph node metastasis in T2 rectal cancer by univariate analysis. The depth of invasion remained statistically significant by multivariate analysis. The rate of lymph node metastasis was 13%(7/54) in patients with shallow muscularis propria involvement, and 28%(19/68) in those with deep muscularis involvement.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For T2 rectal cancer with shallow muscularis involvement, the risk of lymph node metastasis is low and transanal excision should be considered.</p>