Ten-year survival data following resection of locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC).

Abstract

730 Background: The ‘Beyond TME’ Collaborative identified LRRC as a complex problem requiring multidisciplinary consultation and specialized surgical care. Aggressive en bloc resection of LRRC at specialized cancer centers is associated with 5y survival rates of 25-50%. However, skepticism persists that LRRC can be cured given the lack of published longer-term survival data. We investigated the oncologic outcomes at 10y following resection of LRRC and sought relevant clinicopathologic prognostic variables. Methods: The study cohort consists of 52 consecutive patients (31M, 21F) who underwent LRRC resection at our center between 09/1997 and 08/2005. En bloc sacrectomy was performed in 30 patients (58%) with the goal of achieving complete margin negative (R0) resection. At the time of LRRC resection, 46 of 52 patients had isolated LRRC (M0), and 6 had potentially resectable distant metastasis (M1). Patients were followed with H&P, CT-CAP q4mos X2y, q6mos X3y, then annually. Results: At last follow-up (f/u), 32 patients had died of rectal cancer, 1 died of other causes, 4 were alive with rectal cancer, and 15 (30%) were alive cancer-free. For the entire cohort of 52 patients, median f/u time was 44mos (4-162) and overall survival (OS) was 42% at 5y, 37% at 10y, median 43mos. In the group who were alive at last f/u (N = 19), median f/u time was 123mos (45-162). Prognostic variables for OS in univariate analysis included: m status, resection margin status, receipt of systemic Rx, and receipt of radiotherapy. All patients who had M1 disease at the time of LRRC resection died of recurrent cancer at a median of 21mos (4-46). In the 46 M0 patients, OS was 47% at 5y, 42% at 10y, median 50mos; furthermore, disease-free survival (DFS) was 38% at 5y, 38% at 10y, median 39mos. In patients who had R0 resection (n = 41), OS was 51% at 5y, 45% at 10y, median 72mos. Preoperative chemotherapy at the time of primary presentation (n = 26) or before resection of LRRC (n = 20) was associated with significantly improved prognosis ( p= 0.004, p= 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: Complete resection of LRRC was associated with durable survival in approximately 40% of patients, with plateauing of survival curves after 5y. Preoperative therapy of LRRC may improve survival.