Pelvic Recurrence after Excision of Rectum for Carcinoma

Abstract

Recurrence in the pelvis after excision of the rectum for carcinoma implies some form of incomplete removal of the primary tumour or metastases in its immediate neighbour- hood. Little is known of the incidence of pelvic recurrence or of the factors responsible for its development, though the painful effects of these surgical failures are only too often seen in the out-patient department. These considerations prompted an investigation into the pathology of pelvic recurrence in a large series of patients with rectal cancer in the hope of finding methods of prevention.