[Radiotherapy in pelvic recurrences of rectal cancer]

Patients with locally recurrent rectal carcinoma have an unfavourable prognosis for the high incidence of distant metastases, the infrequent feasibility of radical surgical resection, and, in these last cases, the high incidence of re-recurrences. Based on the low resectability rate of pelvic recurrences, the clear impact of tumor diameter on resectability and outcome, and the documented possibility to achieve a significant tumor downstaging and downsizing with the use of concurrent chemoradiation, it is evident that the most promising treatment several authors have considered concurrent chemoradiation followed, if feasible, by radical resection. Furthermore, based on the high local and distant failure rate after surgery, the utilization of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) and adjuvant chemotherapy seems justified. Some published comparisons between patients treated with and without IORT seems to suggest the possible improvement in both local control and survival in these patients. Particularly interesting issues in this field are: 1) the definition of the most effective treatment modality (both in terms of radiation dose, fractionation and techniques, and drugs to be used concurrently to radiotherapy); 2) the analysis of the prognostic impact of several factors, with the aim of designing and validating staging systems of local rectal recurrences; 3) the possibility to treat with relatively high doses also patients previously irradiated on the pelvis.