[Surgical treatment of rectal cancer in Norway].
BACKGROUND
Treatment of rectal cancer with total mesorectal excision has changed the national strategy for treatment of this condition during the last 15 years. The aim of this article was to describe contemporary standards of treatment for rectal cancer in Norway.


METHODS
Reports on treatment results from the Norwegian Rectal Cancer Project form the basis for this article.


CONCLUSIONS
During the first six years (1993 - 1999) of the Norwegian Rectal Cancer Project; the rate of local recurrence was halfed (from 18 % to 9 %), the rate of anastomotic leakage decreased from 17 % to 8 % and radically operated patients (< 75 years) had a five-year overall survival rate of 71 %. Main factors for this improvement were most certainly implementation of total mesorectal excision, centralized treatment, establishing treatment teams of dedicated experts, improved preoperative work-up and tailored treatment.
Wibe
Arne
A
Institutt for kreftforskning og molekylaer medisin, Det medisinske fakultet, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Trondheim. arne.wibe@ntnu.no
Endreseth
Birger Henning
BH
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002497:Centralized Hospital Services; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery