[Local excision of early rectal cancer]

The authors discuss 56 patients operated for rectal cancer primarily estimated as noninvasive. Applied procedures were: local excision through stretched anus /46 cases/, Localio technique /6 cases/, rectotomy during a laparotomy /1 case/ and Transrectal Endoscopic Microsurgery /3 cases/. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to tumor's grading and staging. All patients with cancer infiltration limited to submusosal layer were cured. In the group of infiltrated muscularis layer 36.4% of patients had local recurrences. They were reoperated or irradiated. Two of them died due to cancer spread. The late results in patients with cancer invasion through muscularis layer were poor.