Treatment of local recurrence after primary restorative resection or Hartmann's operation for carcinoma of the colon and the rectum.

Between 1970 and 1985, 20 patients underwent laparotomy for local recurrence following a restorative resection or Hartmann's operation for carcinoma of the colon and rectum. Histological confirmation was made in 18 cases and in 2, recurrence not confirmed at surgery became apparent during subsequent follow-up. Of the 16 patients in whom the site of local recurrence could be defined, there was involvement of the previous anastomosis in 13. At laparotomy 7 patients had disseminated disease and in 5 patients without dissemination, local disease was unresectable. Ten recurrences were amenable to resection. Of these 8 patients had a curative operation with a median survival of 26 months and a 5-year actuarial survival rate of 50%. In 10 patients no resection was performed. Median survival in this group was 5 months but 1 patient is still alive at 10 years after radiotherapy. The results emphasise the importance of follow-up given the high salvage rate in patients in whom a curative resection was possible.