Complete remission after radiotherapy for recurrent rectal cancer.
Although the efficacy of radiotherapy for the palliation of recurrent or inoperable cancer has been proven, it results in complete tumor remission only rarely. We report a case of pelvic recurrence in which complete histological remission followed radiotherapy. A 68-year-old man developed a small pelvic recurrence near the rectal stump 8 months after a Hartmann procedure for rectal cancer. Histologic examination of the biopsy specimens revealed adenocarcinoma consistent with the primary tumor. He received radiotherapy to the whole pelvis, with a total dose of 39.4 Gy administered in 22 fractions over 4 weeks, with a continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil as a radiosensitizer. After regression of the tumor was confirmed, resection of the pelvic recurrence was performed. Histologic examination of the resected specimen revealed no tumor. Thirty-six months after the second operation, the patient was alive with no evidence of disease. The experience of our case and a review of the literature suggests that small pelvic recurrences may be more responsive to radiotherapy than larger ones.
Hayashi
M
M
Department of Surgery, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan.
Shirai
Y
Y
Hatakeyama
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D012074:Remission Induction
D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D005472:Fluorouracil