Objective: To study the clinical data and surgical treatment strategy of rectal neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC).
Methods: Sixteen cases of rectal NEC and 222 cases of rectal carcinomas receiving surgical treatment in Beijing Cancer Hospital from 2003 to 2007, were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: Among the 16 rectal NEC patients, 4(25%) received Miles surgery, 7(43.8%) Dixon surgery, 2 combined multiple organ resection and 3 local resection. Lymph note metastases occurred in 11 cases(68.8%) and distant metastases in 7 cases (43.8%). Among the 222 rectal carcinoma patients, 43(19.4%) received Miles surgery, 152(68.5%) Dixon surgery, 12 palliative operation, 6 colostomy and 9 just received laparotomy. Lymph note metastases occurred in 125 cases (56.3%). In rectal NEC group, postoperative 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 62.5%, 25.0% and 0.63% respectively, which were significantly lower than 83.1%, 61.7% and 46.1% in rectal carcinoma group(all P<0.01).
Conclusions: Rectal NEC is a rare disease. More vascular invasion, lymph node and distant organ metastases are found in rectal NEC than rectal carcinoma, and the prognosis of rectal NEC is worse than rectal cancer.