[Rectal cancer at Landspítalinn 1980-1995.]

Surgery for rectal cancer is difficult and complications following surgery frequent. In the longer perspective a local recurrence is a serious problem. With better operative strategy and local radiation preoperatively a considerable progress has been made in treatment of this disease in large cancer centers. The aim of this study was to investigate symptoms, diagnostic delay, treatment, complications and survival of patients with rectal cancer treated at our institution.

A retrospective study of 43 consecutive patients (22 males, 21 females, mean age 73 years) diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma at Landspítalinn between 1980 and 1995 was performed.

The most common symptoms were rectal bleeding (77%), change of bowel habits (63%) and abdominal pain (37%). More than 80% of the patients had a delay of more than one month before diagnosis and 53% of the tumors were located in the lower third of the rectum. One third of the patients were diagnosed with disease outside the rectum (Duke's-stage C and "D") and 54% were Duke's stage B. Of 43 patients 41 were operated, 30 (73%) with curative surgery. Low anterior resection of rectum was the most commonly performed procedure (n=17) with two cases of anastomostic leakage. Eleven patients underwent abdominoperineal resection and four patients were operated on because of metastasis with colostomy only. Surgical mortality was 0%. Five-year survival was 30% for the whole group and 52% for patients in stage B.

There was no operative mortality in this series. Long-term survival for patients in comparable stages is inferior to recently published studies from larger and more specialized centers. The different results obtained could be explained by standardized surgical procedures and routine preoperative radiotherapy. Similar emphasis will be adopted to standardize rectal cancer surgery.