Local therapy for rectal cancer

In selected patients with early rectal cancer, local therapy is an effective alternative to radical resection and offers minimal morbidity and the avoidance of a colostomy. Several techniques are described: transanal excision, dorsal approaches (York-Mason or Kraske procedures), transanal endoscopic microsurgery, endocavitary radiation, and transanal fulguration. Among these, transanal excision is favored for the low rate of complications, promising outcomes, and ability to secure tissue for pathology. Patients with T1 lesions with favorable histologic features may undergo local excision alone, while those with T2 lesions require adjuvant chemoradiation. The data currently available do not support the use of local therapy with curative intent for tumors that are advanced (T3 or T4), poorly differentiated, or have other negative pathologic characteristics. In carefully selected patients for local excision, local recurrence and survival rates are similar to traditional radical resection. Following local excision, patients require close observation for recurrence. Most patients with local recurrence can be salvaged by radical resection, though the long-term outcome is unknown.