A century of abdominoperineal excision for rectal cancer

Abstract

SUMMARY Abdominoperineal excision (APE) for rectal cancer was described by Miles over 100 years ago. The technique and approach have undergone a number of modifications, however, the essence of the procedure remains essentially unchanged. Management of rectal cancer has changed significantly over the century as surgery and adjuvant therapies have evolved, with improved outcome and a marked decline in incidence of APE. It has been widely recognized that tumors requiring APE are associated with higher rates of local recurrence and positive resection margins compared with anterior resection. The modern challenge remains in obtaining oncological equivalence for both procedures. This article reviews the history and evolution of APE, assesses its current status and explores modern perspectives on optimizing the surgical approach.