[Up-to-date approach to the treatment of rectal cancer]

During the last 15 years 2404 radical operations of various types were carried out for cancer of the rectum. The rate of postoperative complications made up 28.3% and mortality--2.9%. The tendency to increase of locally spread forms of cancer up to 96.2% with metastases to regional lymph nodes up to--52.3% was detected. The use of adequate chemotherapy, updated suturing devices and new variants of radical operations, combined and extended ones in particular havw much contributed to carrying out radical interventions with complete restoration of bowel continuity in 70% of patients. 5 year survival rate of patients after sphincter saving plastics and restorative procedures made up 60.2-65.3%, after extirpations with colostomy--54.2%. Promising results of improvement the indices of 5 year survival were obtained when preoperative irradiation in regime of multifractioning SOD 45-55 Gy was used together with administration of 5-fluorouracil (5-7.5 g).