Transanal minimally invasive surgery for benign and malignant rectal lesions: midterm outcomes from a tertiary center.

BACKGROUND: Although transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) for rectal neoplasia has gained wide acceptance, the mid-term and long-term outcomes are not widely reported in the literature. OBJECTIVE: Describe the mid-term outcomes of patients who underwent TAMIS for benign and malignant rectal lesions in a single center. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Demographic, clinical, and oncological outcomes of patients who underwent TAMIS between January 2015 and December 2022 were prospectively collected. The indication for TAMIS was based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. The follow up for the cancer patients included clinical examination, tumor markers every 6 months and MRI rectum at the end of one year. In addition, colonoscopy and CT scan at years one and three and a final CT scan and colonoscopy at year five. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mid-term oncological and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Thirty elective TAMIS procedures included adenocarcinoma for 33.3% (n=10) of the patients, 20% (n=6) neuroendocrine tumor and the 40% (n=12) were adenomatous lesions. Negative resection margins were achieved in all malignant lesions. Perioperative complications occurred in 2 patients (6.6%), one patient had breaching into the peritoneal cavity, and postoperative hypotension occurred in another patient. The median follow-up time was 23 months (range: 5-72 months). Two patients with adenoma and positive margins developed recurrent adenoma (6.6%) and one patient with initial polypectomy biopsy of adenocarcinoma, had TAMIS with histopathology of adenoma and distant metastasis had developed. CONCLUSIONS: TAMIS for local excision of rectal neoplasia is a valid option with favorable mid-term outcomes provided there is adherence to careful selection criteria. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective nature and small number of the patients.

[Progress in diagnosis and treatment of ovarian metastases in rectal cancer].

Rectal cancer is the most common tumor of digestive tract. For female patients, ovarian metastasis ranks the second place in intraperitoneal organ metastasis. Its symptoms are occult, easily missed and insensitive to systemic treatment, so the prognosis is poor. Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with rectal ovarian metastases, whether R0 resection is possible or not, and reducing tumor load is associated with better prognosis. With the continuous development of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), tumor reduction can reach the cellular level, which can significantly improve survival. Prophylactic ovariectomy remains a controversial issue in patients at high risk of ovarian metastasis. In this review, we summarize the diagnosis, treatment and prevention strategies of rectal cancer ovarian metastases, hoping to provide some reference for clinical practice.

Differential Effects of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Insurance on Disease-Specific Survival in Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline adherence improves cancer outcomes. In rectal cancer, guideline adherence is distributed differently by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and insurance. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the independent effects of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and insurance status on rectal cancer survival after accounting for differences in guideline adherence. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study. SETTINGS: The study was conducted using the California Cancer Registry. PATIENTS: This study included patients aged 18 to 79 years diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2017, with follow-up through November 30, 2018. Investigators determined whether patients received guideline-adherent care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ORs and 95% CIs were used for logistic regression to analyze patients receiving guideline-adherent care. Disease-specific survival analysis was calculated using Cox regression models. RESULTS: A total of 30,118 patients were examined. Factors associated with higher odds of guideline adherence included Asian and Hispanic race/ethnicity, managed care insurance, and high socioeconomic status. Asians (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.72-0.88; p < 0.001) and Hispanics (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99; p = 0.0279) had better disease-specific survival in the nonadherent group. Race/ethnicity were not factors associated with disease-specific survival in the guideline adherent group. Medicaid disease-specific survival was worse in both the nonadherent group (HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.40-1.73; p < 0.0001) and the guideline-adherent group (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08-1.30; p = 0.0005). Disease-specific survival of the lowest socioeconomic status was worse in both the nonadherent group (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.27-1.59) and the guideline-adherent group (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.08-1.34). LIMITATIONS: Limitations included unmeasured confounders and the retrospective nature of the review. CONCLUSIONS: Race, socioeconomic status, and insurance are associated with guideline adherence in rectal cancer. Race/ethnicity was not associated with differences in disease-specific survival in the guideline-adherent group. Medicaid and lowest socioeconomic status had worse disease-specific survival in both the guideline nonadherent group and the guideline-adherent group. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B954 . EFECTOS DIFERENCIALES DE LA RAZA, EL NIVEL SOCIOECONMICO COBERTURA SOBRE LA SUPERVIVENCIA ESPECFICA DE LA ENFERMEDAD EN EL CNCER DE RECTO: ANTECEDENTES: El cumplimiento de las guías de la National Comprehensive Cancer Network mejora los resultados del cáncer. En el cáncer de recto, el cumplimiento de las guías se distribuye de manera diferente según la raza/origen étnico, nivel socioeconómico y el cobertura médica.OBJETIVO: Determinar los efectos independientes de la raza/origen étnico, el nivel socioeconómico y el estado de cobertura médica en la supervivencia del cáncer de recto después de tener en cuenta las diferencias en el cumplimiento de las guías.DISEÑO: Este fue un estudio retrospectivo.ENTORNO CLINICO: El estudio se realizó utilizando el Registro de Cáncer de California.PACIENTES: Pacientes de 18 a 79 años diagnosticados con adenocarcinoma rectal entre el 1 de enero de 2004 y el 31 de diciembre de 2017 con seguimiento hasta el 30 de noviembre de 2018. Los investigadores determinaron si los pacientes recibieron atención siguiendo las guías.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO: Se utilizaron razones de probabilidad e intervalos de confianza del 95 % para la regresión logística para analizar a los pacientes que recibían atención con adherencia a las guías. El análisis de supervivencia específico de la enfermedad se calculó utilizando modelos de regresión de Cox.RESULTADOS: Se analizaron un total de 30.118 pacientes. Los factores asociados con mayores probabilidades de cumplimiento de las guías incluyeron raza/etnicidad asiática e hispana, seguro de atención administrada y nivel socioeconómico alto. Los asiáticos e hispanos tuvieron una mejor supervivencia específica de la enfermedad en el grupo no adherente HR 0,80 (95 % CI 0,72 - 0,88, p < 0,001) y HR 0,91 (95 % CI 0,83 - 0,99, p = 0,0279). La raza o el origen étnico no fueron factores asociados con la supervivencia específica de la enfermedad en el grupo que cumplió con las guías. La supervivencia específica de la enfermedad de Medicaid fue peor tanto en el grupo no adherente HR 1,56 (IC del 95 % 1,40 - 1,73, p < 0,0001) como en el grupo adherente a las guías HR 1,18 (IC del 95 % 1,08 - 1,30, p = 0,0005). La supervivencia específica de la enfermedad del nivel socioeconómico más bajo fue peor tanto en el grupo no adherente HR 1,42 (IC del 95 %: 1,27 a 1,59) como en el grupo adherente a las guías HR 1,20 (IC del 95 %: 1,08 a 1,34).LIMITACIONES: Las limitaciones incluyeron factores de confusión no medidos y la naturaleza retrospectiva de la revisión.CONCLUSIONES: La raza, el nivel socioeconómico y cobertura médica están asociados con la adherencia a las guías en el cáncer de recto. La raza/etnicidad no se asoció con diferencias en la supervivencia específica de la enfermedad en el grupo que cumplió con las guías. Medicaid y el nivel socioeconómico más bajo tuvieron peor supervivencia específica de la enfermedad tanto en el grupo que no cumplió con las guías como en los grupos que cumplieron. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B954 . (Traducción- Dr. Francisco M. Abarca-Rendon).

Referrals and Decision-Making Considerations Involved in Selecting a Surgeon for Rectal Cancer Treatment in the Midwestern United States.

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence of superior outcomes for rectal cancer at high-volume, multidisciplinary cancer centers, many patients undergo surgery in low-volume hospitals. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine considerations of former patients with rectal cancer when selecting their surgeon and to evaluate which considerations were associated with surgery at high-volume hospitals. DESIGN: In this retrospective cohort study, patients were surveyed about what they considered when selecting a cancer surgeon. SETTINGS: Study data were obtained via survey and the statewide Iowa Cancer Registry. PATIENTS: All eligible individuals diagnosed with invasive stages II/III rectal cancer from 2013 to 2017 identified through the registry were invited to participate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were the characteristics of the hospital where they received surgery (ie, National Cancer Institute designation, Commission on Cancer accreditation, and rectal cancer surgery volume). RESULTS: Among respondents, 318 of 417 (76%) completed surveys. Sixty-nine percent of patients selected their surgeon based on their physician's referral/recommendation, 20% based on surgeon/hospital reputation, and 11% based on personal connections to the surgeon. Participants who chose their surgeon based on reputation had significantly higher odds of surgery at National Cancer Institute-designated (OR 7.5; 95% CI, 3.8-15.0) or high-volume (OR 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2-5.7) hospitals than those who relied on referral. LIMITATIONS: This study took place in a Midwestern state with a predominantly white population, which limited our ability to evaluate racial/ethnic associations. CONCLUSION: Most patients with rectal cancer relied on referrals in selecting their surgeon, and those who did were less likely to receive surgery at a National Cancer Institute-designated or high-volume hospitals compared to those who considered reputation. Future research is needed to determine the impact of these decision factors on clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and quality of life. In addition, patients should be aware that relying on physician referral may not result in treatment from the most experienced or comprehensive care setting in their area. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B897.REMISIONES Y CONSIDERACIONES PARA LA TOMA DE DECISIONES RELACIONADAS CON LA SELECCIÓN DE UN CIRUJANO PARA EL TRATAMIENTO DEL CÁNCER DE RECTO EN EL MEDIO OESTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOSANTECEDENTES:A pesar de la evidencia de resultados superiores para el tratamiento del cáncer de recto en centros oncológicos de gran volumen y multidisciplinarios, muchos pacientes se someten a cirugía en hospitales de bajo volumen.OBJETIVOS:Examinar las consideraciones de los antiguos pacientes con cáncer de recto al momento de seleccionar a su cirujano y evaluar qué consideraciones se asociaron con la cirugía en hospitales de gran volumen.DISEÑO:Encuestamos a los pacientes sobre qué aspectos consideraron al elegir un cirujano oncológico para completar este estudio de cohorte retrospectivo.AJUSTE:Los datos del estudio se obtuvieron mediante una encuesta y el Registro de Cáncer del estado de Iowa.PACIENTES:Se invitó a participar a todas las personas elegibles diagnosticadas con cáncer de recto invasivo en estadios II/III entre 2013 y 2017 identificadas a través del registro.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Los resultados principales fueron las características del hospital donde fue realizada la cirugía (es decir, designación del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer, acreditación de la Comisión de Cáncer y volumen de cirugía del cáncer de recto).RESULTADOS:Hubo 318 de 417 (76%) encuestas completadas. El sesenta y nueve por ciento seleccionó a su cirujano en función de la referencia / recomendación de su médico, el 20% por la reputación del cirujano/hospital, y el 11% por sus conexiones personales con el cirujano. Los participantes que eligieron a su cirujano en función a la reputación tuvieron probabilidades significativamente más altas de cirugía en el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer designado (OR = 7,5, IC del 95%: 3,8-15,0) o en hospitales de alto volumen (OR = 2,6, IC del 95%: 1,2-5,7) que aquellos que dependían de la derivación.LIMITACIONES:Este estudio se llevó a cabo en un estado del medio oeste con una población predominantemente blanca, lo que limitó nuestra capacidad para evaluar las asociaciones raciales/étnicas.CONCLUSIONES:La mayoría de los pacientes con cáncer de recto dependían de las derivaciones para seleccionar a su cirujano, y los que lo hacían tenían menos probabilidades de recibir cirugía en un hospital designado por el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer o en hospitales de gran volumen en comparación con los que consideraban la reputación. Se necesitan investigaciones a futuro para determinar el impacto de estos factores de decisión en los resultados clínicos, la satisfacción del paciente y la calidad de vida. Además, los pacientes deben ser conscientes de que depender de la remisión de un médico puede no resultar en el tratamiento más experimentado o integral en su área. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B897. (Traducción-Dr Osvaldo Gauto).

Rectal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Why Is There a Global Variation?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review examines the variation in incidence of rectal neuroendocrine tumours across the globe. Rectal neuroendocrine tumours are a common type of gastrointestinal NET with an increasing incidence reported over the last 30 years. RECENT FINDINGS: There have been a number of publications examining the epidemiology of neuroendocrine tumours across the world. These have utilized a variety of different methodologies to examine both incidence of prevalence of NETs. We review the data published and describe any causative factors and findings regarding the epidemiology of rectal NETs. Rectal NETs account for 1-2% of all rectal cancers and are commonly diagnosed between 50-60 years of age. Most lesions are identified by chance at colonoscopy, commonly during colon cancer screening procedures, which is reflected in part in the age at diagnosis. Most lesions are small in size, < 10 mm and can be managed with endoscopic resection rather than requiring surgery. The highest incidence is reported in people of Asian ethnicity, with a tenfold increased incidence reported in some series compared with white population. There is also an increased incidence in Black and Hispanic population as identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Endoscopic assessment of lesions is variable globally. Future work to better understand the cause of ethnic variation and development of comprehensive cancer registries would be helpful.

Less is more-the best test for anastomotic leaks in rectal cancer patients prior to ileostomy reversal.

PURPOSE: No clear consensus exists on how to routinely assess the integrity of the colorectal anastomosis prior to ileostomy reversal. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of contrast enema, endoscopic procedures, and digital rectal examination in rectal cancer patients in this setting. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed. Studies assessing at least one index test for which a 2 × 2 table was calculable were included. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated and used for test comparison. Paired data were used where parameters could not be calculated. Methodological quality was assessed with the QUADAS-2 tool. RESULTS: Two prospective and 11 retrospective studies comprising 1903 patients were eligible for inclusion. Paired data analysis showed equal or better results for sensitivity and specificity of both endoscopic procedures and digital rectal examination compared to contrast enema. Subgroup analysis of contrast enema according to methodological quality revealed that studies with higher methodological quality reported poorer sensitivity for equal specificity and vice versa. No case was described where a contrast enema revealed an anastomotic leak that was overseen in digital rectal examination or endoscopic procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopy and digital rectal examination appear to be the best diagnostic tests to assess the integrity of the colorectal anastomosis prior to ileostomy reversal. Accuracy measures of contrast enema are overestimated by studies with lower methodological quality. Synopsis of existing evidence and risk-benefit considerations justifies omission of contrast enema in favor of endoscopic and clinical assessment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019107771.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Use in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single-Institution Experience.

BACKGROUND: National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer advocate neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). The aim of this retrospective study was to determine our local patterns of AC use and to examine factors that influenced initiation and completion of AC among patients with stage II/III rectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of stage II/III rectal cancer patients who were treated at the University of Rochester from 2011 to 2014. Chart reviews were conducted to determine rates of AC initiation and completion. The documented reasons for failure to initiate or complete AC were examined. A multivariate analysis was also completed to evaluate factors that may have influenced the initiation and use of AC. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were included in the analysis. Median age was 62 years, and 53 (65.4%) were male. Median time from surgery to initiation of AC in those who received AC was 8.0 weeks. Forty-seven patients (58.0%) completed their prescribed AC course. Twenty-four patients (29.6%) did not start AC and 9 patients (11.1%) were unable to complete their course of AC. Primary reasons for not undergoing AC were patient preference (37.5%) and prolonged surgical recovery (33.3%). Primary reasons for not completing AC were treatment toxicities (55.5%) and patient preference (22.2%). Multivariate analysis identified a positive association between clinical stage III disease at diagnosis and initiation of AC. There was no independent association between pathologic response to neoadjuvant therapy at time of surgery and receipt of AC. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of patients at a single academic center did not start or complete their prescribed postoperative AC for locally advanced rectal cancer. Ongoing studies are investigating a total neoadjuvant approach, which may result in better chemotherapy adherence and further improve the pathologic downstaging rate.

Risk of Bias and Quality of Reporting in Colon and Rectal Cancer Systematic Reviews Cited by National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines.

INTRODUCTION: Given the changing landscape of colorectal cancer, systematic reviews are likely to play a key role in advancing the understanding of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional investigation of the risk of bias and reporting quality of systematic reviews referenced by colon and rectal cancer National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. We used two widely accepted tools: Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews (ROBIS) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). RESULTS: Using ROBIS, only 3 (4.8%) systematic reviews were judged with low risk of bias, 35 (55.6%) systematic reviews were judged with unclear risk of bias, and 25 (39.7%) systematic reviews were judged with high risk of bias. Across all systematic reviews, the individual bias domains at the highest risk of bias were domains 1 (protocol and eligibility criteria) and 2 (methods to identify and select studies). Across all studies, the median adherence to PRISMA was 74.1% (IQR 69.2-80.0%), corresponding to approximately 20 of 27 items. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic reviews cited in NCCN guidelines for colon and rectal cancer are frequently at unclear or high risk of bias and do not report key systematic review items that are important for the critical appraisal of results.

Synchronous primary cancers: Renal cell carcinoma and rectal cancer.

Although cancers of rectum and kidney are common malignancies, the occurrence of primary synchronous neoplasms of these organs has been reported rarely. Very few case reports are available in literature till date. The relationship between these two events remains unclear, probably because of the rarity of the association. In this report, we describe incidentally detected renal cell carcinoma in an elderly man, during staging workup of rectal adenocarcinoma and both malignancies were surgically managed simultaneously with curative intent.

Feasibility of relatively low neoadjuvant radiation doses for locally advanced rectal cancer: A propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy is part of the standard treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Although various options for modifying preoperative radiotherapy protocols have been researched and proposed, there is still no consensus as to the most appropriate dose regimen of neoadjuvant therapy for this disease. AIM: To evaluate the effects of relatively low-dose radiation regimens on tumor regression and clinical outcomes in rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by mesorectal excision. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with LARC who underwent neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) in our hospital from June 2010 to December 2015. A total of 259 consecutive patients were enrolled, receiving 42 to 44 Gy (RLD, n = 31), 46 Gy (SD1, n = 69), or 50 Gy (SD2, n = 159) of CRT, combined with either capecitabine/oxaliplatin or capecitabine only or mFOLFOX6, followed by total mesorectal excision. A 1:4 propensity score matching was employed, and all patients in the RLD group were matched with 124 patients in the SD2 group. Rates of pCR, 3-year local/regional recurrence (LRR), overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) in the RLD group were all not significantly different (0.313 for pCR; 0.884 for LRR; and 0.762 for OS; 0.101 for DFS) from those in SD1 and SD2 groups. The RLD group showed a lower incidence of grade 3 to 4 hematologic toxicity than SD2 group (0.019). A propensity score analysis demonstrated no significant differences in the pCR rates and 3-year outcomes between the RLD and SD2 group. CONCLUSION: Relatively low-dose regimen (≤44 Gy) of neoadjuvant CRT combined with standard concurrent chemotherapy appears to be both safe and effective in Chinese patients with LARC. Further testing by prospective randomized trials is needed.

Rectal cancer patients younger than 50 years lack a survival benefit from NCCN guideline-directed treatment for stage II and III disease.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of rectal cancer in patients younger than 50 years is increasing. To test the hypothesis that the biology in this younger cohort may differ, this study compared survival patterns, stratifying patients according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline-driven care and age. METHODS: The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients treated with curative-intent transabdominal resections with negative surgical margins for stage I to III rectal cancer between 2004 and 2014. Outcomes and overall survival for patients younger than 50 years and patients 50 years old or older were compared by subgroups based on NCCN guideline-driven care. RESULTS: A total of 43,106 patients were analyzed. Younger patients were more likely to be female and minorities, to be diagnosed at a higher stage, and to have travelled further to be treated at academic/integrated centers. Short- and long-term outcomes were significantly better for patients younger than 50 years, with age-specific survival rates calculated. Younger patients were more likely to receive radiation treatment outside NCCN guidelines for stage I disease. In younger patients, the administration of neoadjuvant chemoradiation for stage II and III disease was not associated with an overall survival benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Age-specific survival data for patients with rectal cancer treated with curative intent do not support an overall survival benefit from NCCN guideline-driven therapy for stage II and III patients younger than 50 years. These data suggest that early-onset disease may differ biologically and in its response to multimodality therapy.

Synchronous quintuple primary gastrointestinal tract malignancies: Case report.

Multiple primary malignancy is defined as two or more malignancies detected in an individual person. In particular, synchronous quintuple primary malignancy is extremely rare. A 52-year-old male with anal pain and intermittent blood-tinged stool was diagnosed with malignancies in the stomach, jejunum, ascending colon, transverse colon and rectum. He underwent a subtotal gastrectomy, segmental resection of the jejunum and total protocolectomy with end ileostomy. The postoperative pathologic findings were moderate differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma (pT1bN0M0, pStageIA), combined adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma of the jejunum (pT3N0M0, pStageIIA), three mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon (pT3N0M0, pStageIIA), transverse colon (pT1N0M0, pStageI) and rectum (pT3N1aM0, pStageIIIB). The tumors did not lack MLH-1 and MSH-2 expression, as the markers (bat26, D5S346, bat25, D2S123) suggest MSI-H presence. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was started according to regimen, FOLFOX 4 for advanced rectal cancer. Six years post-operation, the patient is currently attending regular follow-ups without recurrence or metastasis.

Staging Rectal Cancer: The Utility of Chest Radiograph and Chest Computed Tomography.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends that patients who are newly diagnosed with rectal cancer undergo staging CT scan of the chest. It is unclear whether posteroanterior and lateral chest radiography (X-ray) alone would provide adequate staging for most of these patients. A retrospective review was performed on all patients who had a two-view chest X-ray along with a chest CT for rectal cancer staging from 2007 to 2015. A total of 74 patients had both modalities. Sixty-three (85%) had a normal chest X-ray and 11 (15%) had an abnormal chest X-ray. Of the 63 patients with a normal chest X-ray, 40 (63%) had a corresponding normal chest CT and 23 (37%) had a lesion only noted on chest CT. Four patients (17%) in the latter group had metastatic cancer to the lung at the time of workup and four out of five of the tumors found to metastasize were within 5 cm from the anal verge. Our data suggest that a staging chest X-ray is unlikely to diagnose metastatic lungs lesions from a primary rectal cancer. Conversely, staging chest CT will accurately stage metastatic disease but will also reveal benign lung lesions in this patient population.

Anal metastasis from rectal adenocarcinoma.

The metastasis of rectal cancer to the anus is rare. Here, we report a case of advanced rectal cancer, which had a diffuse venous invasion with anal metastasis and multiple lymph node and liver metastases. The patient was a 72-year-old woman who complained of perianal pain and fresh blood in the stools for 6 months. She had neither history of fistula-in-ano nor anal surgery. Digital examination revealed a 2-cm tumor at the 7 o'clock position, and the barium enema and colonoscopy confirmed advanced rectal cancer. Abdominal computed tomography revealed thickness of the upper rectum wall, right inguinal lymph node of 10 mm and multiple liver metastases. Laparoscopically assisted anterior resection, anal tumor resection, and right inguinal lymph node resection were performed, and the histopathological examination of the resected primary and metastatic tumors confirmed similar findings of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, suggestive of metastasis of the rectal cancer to the anal region. In the next procedure, she had the liver lesions resected. This case suggested the importance of the careful examination of the anus during colonoscopy, or digital examination for the detection of anal metastasis.

Hemangioma of the rectum - How misleading can hematochezia be?

We present the case of an 18-year-old male patient that was referred to our gastrenterology department with history of intermittent painless hematochezia since childhood. During such instances, he was diagnosed with bowel intussusception, eosinophilic gastroenteritis and inflammatory bowel disease at 4, 6 and 8 years old, respectively. He underwent treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid for two years, without improvement of symptoms. He was then lost to follow-up until our observation. His physical examination was unremarkable except for digital rectal examination which found a nodular compressible mass by the palpating finger. Blood tests revealed a mild iron deficiency anemia. The colonoscopy showed an extended reddish and bluish multinodular submucosal mass in the rectum, suggesting diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the rectum (DHCR). The Magnetic Resonance Imaging, showed diffuse thickening of the entire rectum extending into the distal sigmoid with the mesorectum revealing multiple serpiginous structures, corresponding to abnormal blood vessels. After discussion, we considered to perform a sphincter-sparing procedure, namely pull through transection and coloanal anastomosis. However, intervention was ruled out by the patient because of his fear of anal incontinence and permanent colostomy. We adopted a conservative strategy with clinical surveillance and iron supplementation. At the present, the patient remains with intermittent rectal bleeding, referring poor quality of life due to his ongoing symptoms. This is a rare case of DHCR. Despite of being a benign disease, the management of DHCR requires a sphincter mucosectomy and pull-through coloanal sleeve anastomosis which has become the first-line procedure. The surgical outcomes are non-expectable in 32% with permanent sphincter lesion or with incomplete DHCR removal. As in this case, the surgeons or patients refusal to perform the intervention is common which represents a challenge to the clinical follow-up.

Reducing the Time From Diagnosis to Treatment of Patients With Stage II/III Rectal Cancer at a Large Public Hospital.

Curative-intent therapy for stage II/III rectal cancer is necessarily complex. Current guidelines by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommend preoperative concurrent chemoradiation followed by resection and additional adjuvant chemotherapy. We used standard quality improvement methodology to implement a cost-effective intervention that reduced the time from diagnosis to treatment of patients with stage II/III rectal cancer by approximately 30% in a large public hospital in Houston, Texas. Implementation of the program resulted in a reduction in time from pathologic diagnosis to treatment of 29% overall, from 62 to 44 days. These gains were cost neutral and resulted from improvements in scheduling and coordination of care alone. Our results suggest that: (1) quality improvement methodology can be successfully applied to multidisciplinary cancer care, (2) effective interventions can be cost neutral, and (3) effective strategies can overcome complexities such as having multiple sites of care, high staff turnover, and resource limitations.

Laparoscopic-assisted one-stage resection of rectal cancer with synchronous liver metastasis utilizing a pfannenstiel incision.

Laparoscopic approaches have been increasingly used in selected patients with either colorectal or liver cancer. However, simultaneous resection of colorectal carcinoma with synchronous liver metastases is still a subject of debate. The present case describes combined laparoscopic rectal and liver resections for a patient with primary rectal cancer and a synchronous liver metastasis utilizing a Pfannenstiel incision for specimen extraction. The operative time was 370 min and estimated blood loss was 400 mL. Postoperatively, the patient required parenteral analgesia for 48 h, resumed normal diet on day 3 and was discharged on day 7 after the operation. A laparoscopic approach utilizing a Pfannenstiel extraction incision may present an advantageous and attractive option for simultaneous laparoscopic rectal and liver resection in selected patients with the aim of improving short-term outcomes.

The role of tissue diagnosis prior to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.

AIM: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is the standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer, with diagnostic work-up routinely including a biopsy confirming invasive carcinoma. For the occasional patient where initial biopsies reveal only dysplasia, or even normal epithelium, repeat biopsy is currently advised, but this may delay therapy and repeat biopsy has potential adverse effects. The study aimed to determine, in the setting of clinical findings and imaging demonstrating locally advanced rectal cancer, whether the absence of a tissue diagnosis prior to commencing chemoradiation compromises patient outcome. METHOD: A review was conducted of our database, including comprehensive treatment and outcome details, in which consecutive patients with colorectal cancer have been enrolled since 1997 at a single institution. All records for patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer were reviewed to identify patients for whom treatment was initiated before a tissue diagnosis was obtained, and to assess any consequences of this. RESULTS: Of 254 patients who had received neoadjuvant treatment for rectal cancer, 16 (6.3%) were found to have had neoadjuvant therapy without a tissue diagnosis of invasive cancer. Compared with cases where a tissue diagnosis had been obtained, median age (59 vs 63 years, P = 0.497), sex (75% vs 71.3% male, P = 0.955) and tumour location (56.3% vs 73.5% < 8 cm, P = 0.230) were similar. Of these, 14 (87.5%) had adenocarcinoma identified on histopathology review of the surgical specimen. Three patients were considered to have had complete pathological responses with mucin lakes within the muscularis propria (n = 2) or lymph nodes (n = 1) or fibrosis (n = 3). One of these had no mucin evident and only fibrosis; thus final pathological proof of invasive cancer was present in 15 (93.5%) patients. There were no local recurrences, but three of the 16 (18.8%) cases developed distant recurrence. CONCLUSION: For the small number of cases without a confirmatory tissue diagnosis before chemoradiation, no adverse consequences were identified. In particular the initial diagnosis was confirmed in 15 out of 16 cases following pathological examination of the operative specimen. We would suggest that, where clinical and radiological features support a diagnosis of locally advanced rectal cancer, proceeding directly to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the absence of a biopsy demonstrating invasive cancer may not be unreasonable, particularly where repeat biopsy would delay the commencement of treatment.