The Relationship Between the Extent of Distal Clearance and Survival and Local Recurrence Rates After Curative Anterior Resection for Carcinoma of the Rectum

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Abstract
With increasing use of low anterior resection, the length of rectum removed below the tumor is often less than the recommended 2 to 5 cm. It is important to know if this decreases the chance of cure. Between 1963 and 1975, 334 patients survived radical restorative operations for single rectal adenocar-cinoma. The length of rectum below the tumor measured on fixed pinned-out pathologic specimens was 2 cm or less in 55 patients (group 1), 2 to 5 cm in 177 (group 2), and 5 cm or more in 102 (group 3). The Dukes' classification, histologic grade, and extent of local spread of the tumors were similar in the three groups. Overall crude 5-year survival rates for groups 1, 2, and 3 were 69.1%, 68.4%, and 69.6%, respectively. Corresponding cancer-specific death rates were 25.5%, 23.2%, and 21.6%. These rates were also similar in matching pathologic subgroups of the three main groups. Of 23 observed or suspected local recurrences, there were four recurrences in group 1 (7.3%), 11 in group 2 (6.2%), and eight in group 3 (7.8%). These results suggest that a margin less than 2 cm below a rectal carcinoma does not affect survival or local recurrence adversely.