Abdominosacral resection: long-term outcome in 86 patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcome of abdominosacral resections (ASR) in patients with locally advanced or recurrent rectal cancer.

Methods: From 1994 until 2012 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) underwent a curative ASR and were enrolled in a database. The postoperative complication rates, predictive factors on oncological outcome and survival rates were registered.

Measuring the health-related quality of life and sexual functioning of patients with rectal cancer: does type of treatment matter?

The literature on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after rectal cancer is growing, however, a comparison between patients with nonadvanced disease (NAD), locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) and a normative population has not been made. Data on the sexual functioning of patient groups is also scarce. We compared (i) the HRQOL of patients with NAD, LARC, or LRRC, with a special focus on sexual functioning and (ii) the HRQOL of the three treatment groups with a normative population.

Patent blue staining as a method to improve lymph node detection in rectal cancer following neoadjuvant treatment.

Introduction: Lymph node involvement is one of the most important prognostic factors in rectal cancer. After neoadjuvant treatment the number of retrieved lymph nodes is often reported to be low which impairs reliable tumour staging. This study examines the effect of patent blue staining on the number of harvested lymph nodes and evaluates whether a higher number of retrieved lymph nodes is of prognostic significance.

Focus on extralevator perineal dissection in supine position for low rectal cancer has led to better quality of surgery and oncologic outcome.

Background: After abdominoperineal excision (APE), the presence of tumor cells in the circumferential resection margin (R1) and iatrogenic tumor perforations are still frequent and result in an increased rate of local recurrences. In this study, a standardized supine APE with an increased focus on the perineal dissection (sPPD) is compared to the customary supine APE.

Methods: From 2000 to 2010, a total of 246 patients underwent APE for rectal cancer (sPPD and customary supine APE).

T3+ and T4 rectal cancer patients seem to benefit from the addition of oxaliplatin to the neoadjuvant chemoradiation regimen.

Background: To achieve T-downstaging and better resectability in locally advanced rectal cancer, neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) has become the current standard of treatment. A variety of schemes have been used. This study investigates which scheme had the best effect on these parameters.