Preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy for locally advanced primary and recurrent rectal carcinoma. A report of surgical morbidity

Background. Complete surgical resection of locally advanced primary and recurrent rectal cancer is often incomplete. Improved tumor downstaging may improve resection rates and local control if postoperative morbidity is not increased. Methods. The clinical and pathologic records of 119 patients with locally advanced primary and recurrent rectal carcinoma were reviewed to determine the effect of preoperative chemoradiation on postoperative morbidity compared with a control group treated with external beam radiation therapy alone. Group I (56 patients) was treated with 45 Gy of external beam radiation therapy. Group II (63 patients) received 45 Gy of external beam radiation therapy with continuous‐infusion cisplatin, 5‐fluorouracil, or both. Results. Forty‐one patients (73.2%) in Group I and 48 in Group II (76.1%) underwent surgical resection. Anal‐sparing procedures were performed more frequently in Group II (25%) than in Group I (5.3%, P < 0.05). The overall complication rate for Group I was 51% versus 44% for Group II (P < 0.05) or 1.17 complications per patient in Group I and 0.58 complications per patient in Group II. One patient in each group died of treatment‐related septic complications. Conclusions. It was concluded that the addition of chemotherapy to radiation to treat rectal carcinoma does not result in an increased operative morbidity and may contribute to a higher proportion of patients being treated with anal–rectal‐conserving surgical procedures.