title: Surgical Results and Oncologic Outcomes for Rectal Cancer with Tailored Mesorectal Excision over Two Decades.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to compare the characteristics of the tumors, the management strategy, and oncologic outcomes of patients with rectal cancer surgery in these two periods: period 1 (1993-2001) and period 2 (2002-2011).
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who underwent radical resection of rectal cancer from 1993 to 2011 were included. Comparisons of the patients' demographics, characteristics, operating results, and oncologic outcome between the two periods were undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Radical resection for rectal cancer was performed in 1611 patients (993 men). Patients were significantly older and more had comorbid medical diseases in period 2. More laparoscopic resections were performed and more patients had preoperative chemoradiation in period 2. The postoperative mortality was significantly lower and the hospital stay was significantly shorter in period 2. In those with non-metastatic cancer, the 5-year local recurrences of patients in period 1 and period 2 were 11.9 and 5.9 %, respectively. (p = 0.002) The patients in period 2 had significantly better 5-year overall (68.1 vs. 60.2 %, p = 0.003) and 5-year cancer-specific survival (76.1 vs. 69.4 %, p < 0.001) when compared with those treated in period 1. The improvement occurred mainly in patients with abdominoperineal resection and those with stage III diseases. In the multivariate analysis, among the other histological factors, operations performed in period 2 and laparoscopic surgery were independent factors associated with better overall survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant improvement in the surgical outcomes in terms of a lower recurrence rate and better survival was achieved in the recent years with the increase in neoadjuvant therapy and the application of laparoscopic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China. lawwl@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Wai Lun
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Dominic C C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Foo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000639:trends; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000639:trends; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome