Is there a Role for Primary Surgical Resection in the Palliative Rectal Cancer Setting: A Systematic Re-view

Abstract

Introduction: There are over 42,000 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed every year in the UK alone, a third of those being rectal in origin. Although there has been significant progress in the treatment of rectal cancer, overall, 5-year survival can still be as low as 17% for those with advanced disease. We aimed to assess the impact on of overall survival and quality of life of primary tumour resection in the palliative setting. Method: A literature search was performed using Pubmed and Cochrane databases in March 2022. Bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs institute checklist. Results: Seven papers were included in the review; all retrospective cohort. A total of 809 patients underwent rectal resection in the presence of metastatic disease +/- adjuvant therapy. The median age was 61years, 59.7% male. 68.6% of patients presented with liver metastasis at the time of diagnosis. The most commonly reported symptoms preoperatively were bleeding and tenesmus. 4-50% of patients in each cohort underwent neoadjuvant therapy. Highest 30-day mortality reported was 7.3%. Both studies comparing resection v none demonstrated a higher overall survival for those undergoing surgery, with one showing 1year overall survival 65v20%. Quality of life was not addressed across the literature. Conclusion: Although there is some evidence to show a favourable overall survival for patients undergoing primary tumour resection in the palliative setting, this data is mainly old and across a heterogeneous population. A larger scale prospective study would be required to assess its potential role and impact upon quality of life.