title: [Surgery treatment of rectal cancer].
abstract: Surgical resection is the only curative procedure for carcinoma of the rectum. Heald's development of total mesorectal excision has made it the standard approach for mobile, non-fixed tumors; it permits optimal local control with less than 10% local recurrence at five years and minimizes nerve damage and genito-urinary complications. Although initial short-term results of laparoscopic approaches are very promising, the final role of laparoscopy has not yet been established. Neo-adjuvant radiotherapy should be proposed for locally advanced (T3, T4, and/or N+) tumors of the low and mid-rectum. Radiochemotherapy coupled with intersphincteric dissection offers hope for sphicter-sparing extirpation of even the lowest of rectal cancers. Local resection through a trans-anal approach may be considered for small (<3 cm.), mobile, well-differentiated tumors lying within 8 cm. of the anal verge if rectal echo-endoscopy shows an in-situ tumor or a T1 lesion with no evidence of lymphadenopathy. Future strategies may enlarge the indications for local resection if and when radiochemotherapy can achieve a complete local response (tumor sterilization).
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Endocrinienne, CHU Trousseau - Tours. frederic.bretagnol@bjn.aphp.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bretagnol
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Calan
mesh_terms: D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007813:Laparotomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome