[Surgical approach to the locoregional recurrence of cancer of the rectum]

A literature review has been made on the pelvic recurrence of rectal cancer using the MedLine, Ovid, EMBASE, Cochrane and Cinahl data bases. Assessment of the locoregional recurrence must be made using imaging tests in order to rule out the presence of metastasis, as well as for locating its exact location within the pelvis. As the only curative treatment should be complete resection of the recurrence with negative margins, a pre-operative CT, NMR, endorectal ultrasound and PET-CT must be performed to determine its resectability. For a potential cure, radical resections must be made, with the technique varying according to whether the location is central (axial), posterior (presacral) or lateral, as well as treatment directed at the primary tumour. Neoadjuvant treatments, brachiterapy and intra-operative radiotherapy improve the local control results and survival in these patients.