Outcome of total pelvic exenteration for primary rectal cancer

Purpose: This retrospective study identifies the clinicopathologic factors (age, gender, size of tumor, location, tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, histologic differentiation, and adjuvant therapies) that are useful in predicting long-term survival in patients undergoing total pelvic exenteration for advanced primary rectal cancer. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 71 patients with stage T3 or T4 primary rectal cancer who underwent a curative total pelvic exenteration. The effects of various clinical variables on long-term survival were analyzed. Results: The postoperative mortality, hospital death, and morbidity rates were 1.4, 4.2, and 66.2 percent, respectively. The overall five-year survival rate after total pelvic exenteration was 54.1 percent. The five-year survival rate was 65.7 percent for patients with T3 lesions and 39 percent for patients with T4 lesions. A univariate analysis showed that postoperative survival was affected by age, tumor stage, and lymph node metastasis, while a multivariate analysis showed that age and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: Total pelvic exenteration may enable long-term survival in younger patients with stage T3 or T4 primary rectal cancer and little or no lymph node metastasis.