Multidisciplinary Treatment for Advanced Rectal Cancer
The effectiveness of multidisciplinary treatment for advanced rectal cancer was studied in 29 cases chosen from among 525 operations for rectal cancer performed in the 20-year period between January 1974 and December 1993. Among these 29 cases, 15 were judged nonresectable and 14 experienced local recurrence. As for the multidisciplinary treatment, 5 - Fluorouracil, UFT and Mitomycin C were used for the chemotherapy portion of treatment, and liquid nitrogen was used for local treatment in cryosurgery. As a control experiment, 11 cases of nonresectable cancer were treated by a colostomy only and 16 cases of rectal cancer with local recurrence were treated by chemotherapy only. To determine the effectiveness of multidisciplinary treatment for nonresectable and/or locally recurred rectal cancer, patients with advanced rectal cancer were compared with control groups, but no significant improvement in survival rates was observed. Nevertheless, an excellent effect on tumor resistance was observed after cryosurgery, with the longest survival being two years and eleven months. Therefore, to improve the effectiveness of multidisciplinary treatment, adequate chemotherapy must be provided along with improvement of the general condition of the patient (using such methods as hyperalimentation) and the effectiveness of local cryosurgery.
