[Electrocoagulation--a curative method in the treatment of rectal carcinoma]

The authors analyze a group of 27 patients with carcinoma of the rectum who were treated in the authors' department in 1975-1990 by electrocoagulation. The authors emphasize the view of local treatment of rectal carcinoma in conjunction with modern findings on biological properties of this tumour and with regard to clinical results published in the world literature. The prerequisite of success of the method is high standard technical equipment of the department. The achieved results in the group of treated patients (66% five-year survival, 50% ten-year survival) despite the possible error of small numbers justify the authors' conviction that under conditions of strict selection and perfect technical equipment this method holds it place in the treatment of carcinoma of the rectum.