EARLY RECTAL CANCER: LOCAL EXCISION OR TOTAL MESORECTAL EXCISION?

AIM of this study was to improve treatment outcomes for early rectal cancer; to assess the accuracy of endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) in preoperative staging of early rectal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A total of 42 patients of the main prospective group with early rectal cancer underwent transanal local excision (LE). In control retrospective group 39 patients underwent radical resection with total mesorectal excision (TME). Operation time, perioperative, hospital stay duration long-term oncological results (overall and local recurrence-free survival, cancer-free survival, distant metastasis rate) were analyzed.. Comparison of ERUS preoperative staging for prospective group and pathological staging was performed to identify the accuracy of ERUS. RESULTS. Median follow-up for prospective group was 41 (from 10 to 60) months. In comparison with TME, LE was associated with fewer morbid (4,8 % vs 17,9 %, p=0,04). There was no hospital mortality in both groups. The accuracy of ERUS was 88,1 % for Tis and 78,6% for T1. There was no significant statistical difference in 1-year and 3-year in oncological outcomes between groups (p=1,0). There was one local recurrence (2,6%) in 6 months after LE in a patient with pT1sm3 who had previously refused surgery. This patient underwent TME. There was no detected distant metastasis in both groups. The 3-year overall survival was 100 % for LE and 97,4 % for TME. The 3-year cancer-specific survival was 100 % in both groups. CONCLUSIONS. LE has advantages over TME in short-term results; long-term oncological results after LE are comparable with TME. ERUS has a good diagnostic effectiveness in preoperative staging of early rectal cancer.