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Recent findings have suggested a higher than expected rate of local recurrence in patients who underwent endoscopic or surgical resection of submucosal rectal cancers. Are long-term outcomes worse after resection for patients with submucosal rectal cancers than for those with submucosal colon cancers, and should more aggressive treatment be considered after resection for patients with rectal cancers?
To address these questions, investigators in Japan examined data on 209 patients with submucosal rectal cancer and 549 patients with submucosal colon cancer who underwent endoscopic or surgical resection at six institutions from 2000 through 2007. Rectal and colon cancer lesions were defined as low risk for lymph-node metastasis if they were com…