Preoperative radiotherapy with 25 Gy in 1 week before curative surgery for rectal cancer is beneficial for overall and cancer-specific survival and local recurrence rates after long-term follow-up.

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01047462.

Background:The association between diverting stomas and symptomatic anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer surgery was studied, as well as the impact of leakage on local recurrence, distant metastasis, and disease-free, overall and cancer-specific survival.Methods: Data from the Swedish Rectal Cancer Trial, Dutch TME trial, CAO/ARO/AIO-94 trial, EORTC 22921 trial and Polish Rectal Cancer Trial were pooled (n = 5187). All eligible patients without distant metastases at the time of low anterior resection were selected (n = 2726); overall survival was studied in patients aged 75 years or less (n = 2480). Multivariable models were used to study the association between diverting stomas and anastomotic leakage, and between leakage and recurrence or survival.Results: Some 9·7 per cent of patients were diagnosed with a symptomatic anastomotic leak; diverting stomas were negatively associated with leakage (11·6 per cent without and 7·8 per cent with a stoma; P = 0·002). Anastomotic leakage was negatively associated with overall survival in the multivariable analysis (hazard ratio (HR) 1·29 (95 per cent confidence interval 1·02 to 1·63); P = 0·034), but not with cancer-specific survival (HR 1·12 (0·83 to 1·52); P = 0·466). Conclusion:Diverting stomas were associated with less symptomatic anastomotic leakage. Oncological outcome was not significantly influenced by leakage, but overall survival was reduced.

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The advantages of laparoscopic lavage should be weighed against the risk of secondary intervention (if sepsis is unresolved). Assessment to exclude malignancy (although uncommon) is advised. Registration number: NCT01047462 ( http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

IMPORTANCE Perforated colonic diverticulitis usually requires surgical resection, with significant morbidity. Short-term results from randomized clinical trials have indicated that laparoscopic lavage is a feasible alternative to resection. However, it appears that no long-term results are available.OBJECTIVE To compare long-term (5-year) outcomes of laparoscopic peritoneal lavage and primary resection as treatments of perforated purulent diverticulitis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis international multicenter randomized clinical trial was conducted in 21 hospitals in Sweden and Norway, which enrolled patients between February 2010 and June 2014. Long-term follow-up was conducted between March 2018 and November 2019. Patients with symptoms of left-sided acute perforated diverticulitis, indicating urgent surgical need and computed tomography-verified free air, were eligible. Those available for trial intervention (Hinchey stages

Quality control is an important part of medicine and the present study suggests that it also must include surgical instruments. A prospective randomised study is needed to confirm the results.

There was no statistically significant effect on perineal wound complications or cancer recurrence following the local administration of gentamicin-collagen during APR.