[Locally recurrent rectal carcinoma]

There is no doubt that surgical treatment with curative intent is warranted in patients with recurrent colorectal cancer. This is also true for locally recurrent rectal cancer. Operative procedures are demanding but may be curative if complete excision can be achieved. Preoperative radiochemotherapy has helped to improve resectability, but operative morbidity is still high. Procedure-related mortality on the other hand is low, at around 3%, and 25% 5-year survival can be expected after complete excision.