Lateral Pelvic Recurrence in Rectal Cancer Is Not Local Recurrence but Lymphatic Metastasis

Complete resection of advanced rectal cancer is challenging, with local recurrence rates ranging from 4% to 12%. Local recurrence is often categorized as central, anastomotic, or lateral, with lateral lymph node (LLN) metastasis being the primary driver of lateral recurrence. Although preoperative radiotherapy effectively manages nonlateral recurrences, it is less effective for lateral recurrences, and LLN dissection significantly reduces lateral recurrence rates. This study aimed to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics associated with lateral and nonlateral recurrences.

We retrospectively analyzed 232 patients (156 males and 76 females; median age, 64 years) who underwent preoperative radiotherapy followed by curative-intent surgery for clinical T3/4 rectal adenocarcinoma located below the peritoneal reflection between April 2010 and December 2017. In total, 40% of the patients underwent LLN dissection. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinicopathological data were performed to identify the independent risk factors for lateral and nonlateral recurrences.

Local recurrence occurred in 19 (8%) patients: 7 had lateral recurrence, 13 had nonlateral recurrence, and 1 had both. Multivariate analysis identified mesorectal lymph node metastasis as a significant risk factor for lateral recurrence, whereas positive circumferential resection margin was a significant risk factor for nonlateral recurrence.

The identification of different risk factors for lateral and nonlateral recurrence suggests that lateral recurrence is more strongly associated with lymphatic permeation than nonlateral recurrence. These findings highlight the importance of LLN dissection in minimizing the risk of lateral recurrence.