Oncologic Outcomes and Risk Factors for Recurrence after Tumor-specific Mesorectal Excision of Rectal Cancer: 782 Cases

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the oncologic outcomes and the risk factors for recurrence after a tumor-specific mesorectal excision (TSME) of resectable rectal cancer in a single institution. METHODS: A total of 782 patients who underwent a TSME for resectable rectal cancer between February 1995 and December 2005 were enrolled retrospectively. Oncologic outcomes included 5-year cancer-specific survival and its affecting factors, as well as risk factors for local and systemic recurrence. RESULTS: The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 77.53% with a mean follow-up period of 61 +/- 31 months. The overall local and systemic recurrence rates were 9.2% and 21.1%, respectively. The risk factors for local recurrence were pN stage (P = 0.015), positive distal resection margin, and positive circumferential resection margin (P < 0.001). The risk factors for systemic recurrence were pN stage (P < 0.001) and preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level (P = 0.005). The prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival were pT stage (P < 0.001), pN stage (P < 0.001), positive distal resection margin (P = 0.005), and positive circumferential resection margin (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: The oncologic outcomes in our institution after a TSME for patients with resectable rectal cancer were similar to those reported in other recent studies, and we established the risk factors that could be crucial for the planning of treatment and follow-up.

Oncologic Outcomes and Safety after Tumor-specific Mesorectal Excision for Resectable Rectal Cancer: A Single Institution's Experience with 1,276 Patients with Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to review the oncologic outcomes and the operative safety of a tumor- specific mesorectal excision (TSME) for resectable rectal cancer. The risk factors for recurrence and survival were analyzed, and the changes in the sphincter-preserving rate with time were analyzed. METHODS: A total of 1,276 patients with rectal cancer who underwent curative surgery between 1989 and 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. The enrolled patients were registered in the Colorectal Cancer Database and were followed prospectively. RESULTS: The pathologic stages were stage I in 330 (25.9%), II in 403 (31.6%), and III in 543 (42.6%). Postoperative complications developed in 263 patients (20.6%). The rates of anal sphincter preservation were 32.6% between 1989 and 1993, 56.8% between 1994 and 1998, and 69.4 % between 1999 and 2003. With a mean follow-up of 69.4 months, the overall local recurrence (LR) rate was 5.4%. The 5-year LR rates were 3.8% in stage I, 4.7% in stage II, and 8.4% in stage III (P=0.016). A multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors affecting LR were pN (0.005) and preoperatively increased serum CEA (P=0.008). The 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were 93.8% in stage I, 84.5% in stage II, and 64.5% in stage III (P=0.021). A multivariate analysis revealed that the factors affecting cancer-specific survival were pN (P=0.012) and circumferential resection margin (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: TSME for resectable rectal cancer showed acceptable operative morbidity and excellent oncologic outcomes. The trend toward sphincter preservation was obvious, and the shortening of the distal resection margin without deteriorating the oncologic outcomes was one of the major enabling factors.