Long term clinical outcomes in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma treated at a Tertiary Care Centre in South India

Abstract

Introduction: Treatment of rectal adenocarcinoma involves multi-disciplinary approach which includes radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Our study aims to assess the clinical outcomes of patients with rectal adenocarcinoma treated in a tertiary care centre in South India.

Materials and methods: A retrospective content-based analysis was made of 131 patients diagnosed and treated for adenocarcinoma rectum in a tertiary care hospital during the period of 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2015. The primary objectives were to assess disease‑free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results: Of the 131 patients, 82 were males and 49 were females with a median age of 59 years. Stage II and Stage III disease together contributed to 65.6% of study population. After a median follow up of 105.8 months, the 8-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were found to be 77.2% and 78.8% respectively. In the univariate analysis, stage of the disease and histology were found to be significant factors in determining the overall survival (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma emerged as significant factor affecting overall survival. About 31 (23.6%) patients showed disease recurrence. Of the 31 patients, pelvic recurrence occurred in 26% patients and among the distant metastases, liver was the most common site (33%) followed by lung (22%).

Conclusion: The disease free survival and overall survival of our patients were comparable with the available published data.