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Total Mesorectal Excision: The Heidelberg Results after TME

  • Conference paper
Rectal Cancer Treatment

Part of the book series: Recent Results in Cancer Research ((RECENTCANCER,volume 165))

Abstract

The introduction of the total mesorectal excision (TME) has changed the treatment of rectal cancer dramatically by reducing the local recurrence rate. We report the results of 208 patients undergoing a low anterior resection (LAR, n=180) or abdominoperineal resection (APR, n=28) with TME between 1 October 2001 and 30 September 2003. No adjuvant therapy was administered to any patient; however, 108 patients received neoadjuvant radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy. Since February 2002, 51 patients underwent a short-course radiotherapy with 5×5 Gy prior to surgery in cases of a T3 tumor or positive lymph node in the preoperative CT-scan or endoanal ultrasound. Patients with a T4 tumor or T3 tumor close to the sphincter received radiochemotherapy. We discuss the results for mortality, morbidity, functional outcome, and overall survival between the LAR and APR groups. The mortality rate was 3% in the LAR and 0% in the APR group, whereas the morbidity was higher in the APR group. Anastomotic leakages occurred in eight patients (7%), and reoperations had to be performed in 14 LAR and four APR patients. After a median follow-up of 11 months, the overall survival was 93% for LAR and 89% for APR. To assess the functional outcome after TME, questionnaires were sent to all patients undergoing LAR and APR. In conclusion, the TME has become the gold standard for rectal cancer surgery. Neoadjuvant treatment modalities such as preoperative short term radiotherapy (5×5 Gy) or combined radiochemotherapy will most likely replace the adjuvant combined radiochemotherapy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General, Visceral and Trauma Surgery, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Alexis Ulrich

Authors
  1. Alexis Ulrich
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  2. Jan Schmidt
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  3. Jürgen Weitz
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  4. Markus W. Büchler
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Allgemeine, Viszerale, Unfallchirurgie und Poliklinik, Chirurgische Universitätsklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Markus W. Büchler  & Jürgen Weitz  & 

  2. Chirurgie, Krankenhaus Gerresheim, Kliniken der Landeshauptstadt, Gräulinger Straße 120, 40625, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Bernward Ulrich

  3. The Pelican Cancer Foundation, North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9NA, UK

    Richard John Heald (OBE, Surgical Director) (OBE, Surgical Director)

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© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Ulrich, A., Schmidt, J., Weitz, J., Büchler, M.W. (2005). Total Mesorectal Excision: The Heidelberg Results after TME. In: Büchler, M.W., Weitz, J., Ulrich, B., Heald, R.J. (eds) Rectal Cancer Treatment. Recent Results in Cancer Research, vol 165. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27449-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27449-9_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-23341-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-27449-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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