[Treatment of recurrent cancer]

From our immunological and pathophysiological studies, recurrent cancer is not a stage following non-curative cancer, but is an intermediate tumor burden between operable and inoperable cancer cases. The survival of the patients with advanced cancer is comparable whether their disease is primary or recurrent. There is also no difference in the response rate to cancer chemotherapy between primary cases and recurrent cases. Therefore, recurrent cancer should also be an object of vigorous treatment. The problem in the treatment of patients with recurrent cancer is that there are two or more lesions in most instances and that cancer invasion is usually deeper. Therefore, treatment of recurrent cancer should be done with due consideration of sites of primary lesion and metastasis, and an appropriate regimen should be chosen for individual patients. However, what is important in treating recurrent cancer cases is its early detection and multidisciplinary treatment. It is desired the systematization in the treatment of patients with recurrent cancer.