[Intravital study of lymph outflow in rectal cancer]

Methods of life-time studies of lymph drainage in the rectum using lymphoscintigraphy were developed. The normal rectum was found to fall into two segments with a border at the level of 5 cm above the anus which revealed essentially different pathways of lymph drainage: mainly to inguinal and internal iliac lymph nodes (distal segment) or to superior rectal and inferior mesenteric lymph nodes (proximal one). Rectal cancer involves the switching-on of reserve and collateral pathways of lymph drainage from the organ which is determined by the local-regional extension of tumor.