<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_raon-2016-0021_s_025_w2aab3b8c14b1b7b1aab1c16b1Aa"><h3>Background</h3><p>Low recurrence rates and long term survival are the main therapeutic goals of rectal cancer surgery. Complete, margin- negative resection confers the greatest chance for a cure. The aim of our study was to determine whether the length of the distal resection margin was associated with local recurrence rate and long- term survival.</p></sec><sec id="j_raon-2016-0021_s_026_w2aab3b8c14b1b7b1aab1c16b2Aa"><h3>Patients and methods</h3><p>One hundred and nine patients, who underwent sphincter-preserving resection for locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy between 2006 and 2010 in two tertiary referral centres were included in the study. Distal resection margin lengths were measured on formalin-fixed, pinned specimens. Characteristics of patients with distal resection margin &lt; 8 mm (Group I, n = 27), 8–20 mm (Group II, n = 31) and > 20 mm (Group III, n = 51) were retrospectively analysed and compared. Median (range) follow-up time in Group I was 89 (51–111), in Group II 83 (57–111) and in Group III 80 (45–116) months (p = 0.326), respectively.</p></sec><sec id="j_raon-2016-0021_s_027_w2aab3b8c14b1b7b1aab1c16b3Aa"><h3>Results</h3><p>Univariate survival analysis showed that distal resection margin length was not statistically significantly associated with overall survival or local recurrence rate (p > 0.05). In a multiple Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for pathologic T and N stage (yT, yN), distal resection margin length was still not statistically significantly associated with overall survival.</p></sec><sec id="j_raon-2016-0021_s_028_w2aab3b8c14b1b7b1aab1c16b4Aa"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our study shows that close distal resection margins can be accepted as oncologically safe for sphincter-preserving rectal resections after preoperative chemoradiotherapy.</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundLow recurrence rates and long term survival are the main therapeutic goals of rectal cancer surgery. Complete, margin- negative resection confers the greatest chance for a cure. The aim of our study was to determine whether the length of the distal resection margin was associated with local recurrence rate and long- term survival.Patients and methodsOne hundred and nine patients, who underwent sphincter-preserving resection for locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy between 2006 and 2010 in two tertiary referral centres were included in the study. Distal resection margin lengths were measured on formalin-fixed, pinned specimens. Characteristics of patients with distal resection margin < 8 mm (Group I, n = 27), 8–20 mm (Group II, n = 31) and > 20 mm (Group III, n = 51) were retrospectively analysed and compared. Median (range) follow-up time in Group I was 89 (51–111), in Group II 83 (57–111) and in Group III 80 (45–116) months (p = 0.326), respectively.ResultsUnivariate survival analysis showed that distal resection margin length was not statistically significantly associated with overall survival or local recurrence rate (p > 0.05). In a multiple Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for pathologic T and N stage (yT, yN), distal resection margin length was still not statistically significantly associated with overall survival.ConclusionsOur study shows that close distal resection margins can be accepted as oncologically safe for sphincter-preserving rectal resections after preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

The influence of the distal resection margin length on local recurrence and long- term survival in patients with rectal cancer after chemoradiotherapy and sphincter- preserving rectal resection

Radiology and Oncology

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BackgroundLow recurrence rates and long term survival are the main therapeutic goals of rectal cancer surgery. Complete, margin- negative resection confers the greatest chance for a cure. The aim of our study was to determine whether the length of the distal resection margin was associated with local recurrence rate and long- term survival.Patients and methodsOne hundred and nine patients, who underwent sphincter-preserving resection for locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy between 2006 and 2010 in two tertiary referral centres were included in the study. Distal resection margin lengths were measured on formalin-fixed, pinned specimens. Characteristics of patients with distal resection margin  20 mm (Group III, n = 51) were retrospectively analysed and compared. Median (range) follow-up time in Group I was 89 (51–111), in Group II 83 (57–111) and in Group III 80 (45–116) months (p = 0.326), respectively.ResultsUnivariate survival analysis showed that distal resection margin length was not statistically significantly associated with overall survival or local recurrence rate (p > 0.05). In a multiple Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for pathologic T and N stage (yT, yN), distal resection margin length was still not statistically significantly associated with overall survival.ConclusionsOur study shows that close distal resection margins can be accepted as oncologically safe for sphincter-preserving rectal resections after preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

BackgroundLow recurrence rates and long term survival are the main therapeutic goals of rectal cancer surgery. Complete, margin- negative resection confers the...

The influence of the distal resection margin length on local recurrence and long- term survival in patients with rectal cancer after chemoradiotherapy and sphincter- preserving rectal resection

Article Category: Research Articles

Published Online: May 24, 2016

Page range: 169 - 177

Received: Feb 20, 2016

Accepted: Apr 10, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/raon-2016-0030

Keywords
rectal cancer, distal resection margin, chemoradiotherapy, local recurrence, survival

© 2017 Jan Grosek, Vaneja Velenik, Ibrahim Edhemovic, Mirko Omejc

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The influence of the distal resection margin length on local recurrence and long- term survival in patients with rectal cancer after chemoradiotherapy and sphincter- preserving rectal resection

Article Category: Research Articles

Published Online: May 24, 2016

Page range: 169 - 177

Received: Feb 20, 2016

Accepted: Apr 10, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/raon-2016-0030

Keywordsrectal cancer, distal resection margin, chemoradiotherapy, local recurrence, survival

© 2017 Jan Grosek, Vaneja Velenik, Ibrahim Edhemovic, Mirko Omejc

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords
rectal cancer, distal resection margin, chemoradiotherapy, local recurrence, survival