Conservative management of selected patients with carcinoma of the rectum

Abstract

Summary In a ten-year period 252 selected patients with carcinoma of the rectum for whom conservative treatment was advocated were studied. Of 211 patients who were treated conservatively and whose condition was followed eight to 18 years, the procedure was successful in 96.2 per cent of cases; it was a failure or a partial failure in 3.8 per cent of cases. Conservative treatment was recommended in an additional 41 patients, but radical operation was performed. Examination of the surgical specimen showed that on the basis of Dukes' classification, 40 of the 41 patients could have been treated by conservative means. Experience at the Mayo Clinic indicates that a conservative approach in certain selected cases of carcinoma of the rectum is safe and justifiable.