Preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by transanal local excision for T3 distal rectal cancer: A case report

Local excision (LE) for rectal cancer is currently indicated for selected T1 stage tumors. However, preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer not only improves local disease control, but also leads to a decrease in the stage and size of the primary mural tumor, along with a decrease in the risk of regional lymphadenopathy. The present study reports the outcome of a patient with T3N0M0 rectal cancer who was treated with LE following preoperative CRT. The distal pole of the tumor was located 2 cm from the anal verge. Preoperative pelvic radiotherapy of 50.4 Gy was administered in 28 fractions. Chemotherapy using 5-fluoro-uracil and leucovorin was administered during the first and last weeks of radiotherapy. The tumor response to CRT, was found to be marked at 7 weeks after CRT completion, and a complete response was presumed clinically. Transanal full-thickness LE was performed, and pathological examination revealed the absence of residual cancer cells. After 30 months of close follow-up, the patient was alive with no evidence of disease, and treatment-associated severe toxicities were not observed. Although a longer follow-up period is required, this case report suggests that LE may also be a feasible alternative treatment for T3 rectal cancer, which exhibits a marked response to preoperative CRT, particularly in elderly and comorbid patients contraindicated for radical surgery, or patients who are reluctant to undergo sphincter-ablation surgery.