Surgical therapy for patients with stage Ⅳ primary rectal cancer / 中国普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the value and criteria for primary tumor resection in patients with stage Ⅳ rectal cancer. Methods The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for 53 patients with stage Ⅳ rectal cancer undergoing primary tumor resection. Results All patients were graded according to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance as status 1. Seventeen of 53 patients (32%) received palliative resection. Thirty-six patients received adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The median follow-up was 14 months. Forty-seven patients had complete resolution of their symptoms related to the primary rectal cancer for a year. The median survival was 16 months and 2-year overall survival of 24.5%. On multivariate analysis, chemotherapy was a determinant of prolonged survival (P=0.046). Conclusions Resection of primary tumor in patients with stage Ⅳ rectal cancer can improve the quality of life. Patients who have a good performance status, minimal metastatic disease and normal preoperative liver function tests should undergo resective surgery and aggresive systemic chemotherapy.