Over 14 years 276 patients with rectal cancer underwent surgery; 219 who underwent low anterior resection of the rectum with total mesorectal excision were studied. There were 24 (11.0 per cent) major anastomotic leaks associated with peritonitis or a pelvic collection and 14 (6.4 per cent) minor leaks that were asymptomatic and detected by contrast enema. All major leaks occurred at an anastomotic height of less than 6 cm (P = 0.08). The abdominoperineal excision rate was 9.1 per cent. Major leaks were associated with failure to defunction in 11 of 62 patients and with a defunctioning colostomy in 13 of 157 (P = 0.03). Of the 24 patients with major leaks seven developed peritonitis, one with a defunctioned anastomosis (P = 0.002), and three died (P = 0.02). Use of the sigmoid colon led to major leakage in seven of 32 patients compared with 17 of 187 when the splenic flexure was employed (P = 0.05). There was no increase in the local recurrence rate but only nine patients with major leakage and a temporary stoma have had these closed. Key technical factors include: a clean dry pelvic cavity, pulsatile colonic blood supply, suction drainage started during closure and mobilization of ample tissue to fill the pelvic space.

Results: The analysis included 46 patients in the ERP group and 45 in the standard care group. Median MFD time was reduced in the ERP group (3 days versus 6 days with standard care; P < 0·001), as was LOS (4 days versus 7 days; P < 0·001). The ERP significantly reduced the rate of medical complications (7 versus 27 per cent; P = 0·020), but not surgical complications (15 versus 11 per cent; P = 0·612), readmissions (4 versus 0 per cent; P = 0·153) or mortality (both 2 per cent; P = 0·987). QoL over 28 days was significantly better in the ERP group (P = 0·002). There was no difference in patient satisfaction. Conclusion:ERPs for open liver resection surgery are safe and effective. Patients treated in the ERP recovered faster, were discharged sooner, and had fewer medical-related complications and improved QoL. Registration number: ISRCTN03274575 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).

This paper examines the hypothesis that a reduction in the distal mural margin during anterior resection for sphincter conservation in rectal cancer excision is safe, provided total mesorectal excision is undertaken with wash-out of the clamped rectum. One hundred ninety-two patients underwent anterior resection and 21 (less than 10%) patients underwent abdomino-perineal excision (APE) by one surgeon (RJH). Anterior resections were classified as "curative" (79%) and "non-curative" (21%); in the "curative" sub-group less than 4% of patients developed local recurrence. The series was retrospectively analyzed for the effect of mural margins on local recurrence with 152 patients undergoing "curative" anterior resections and 40 patients undergoing "non-curative" resections. In the 152 specimens from curative resections, 110 had a resection margin greater than 1 cm and 42 had a resection margin less than 1 cm. Four patients developed local recurrence in the greater than 1 cm margin group (95% confidence interval: 0.8%-7.8%) and no patients developed local recurrence in the less than or equal to 1 cm margin group (95% confidence interval: 0%-5.9%). In each patient with local recurrence a cause for failure was apparent. There was no statistically significant difference in local recurrence rate between the less than or equal to 1 cm margin group and the greater than 1 cm margin group. A reduction in resection margin therefore did not compromise survival after anterior resection. The significance of lateral resection margins is discussed. The role of deep radiotherapy and cytotoxics are considered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Risk of peritonitis and fatal septicaemia and the need t o defunction the low anastomosisBr.

Background The interim analysis of the multicentre New EPOC trial in patients with resectable colorectal liver metastasis showed a significant reduction in progression-free survival in patients allocated to cetuximab plus chemotherapy compared with those given chemotherapy alone. The focus of the present analysis was to assess the effect on overall survival.Methods New EPOC was a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with KRAS wild-type (codons 12, 13, and 61) resectable or suboptimally resectable colorectal liver metastases and a WHO performance status of 0-2 were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive chemotherapy with or without cetuximab before and after liver resection. Randomisation was done centrally with minimisation factors of surgical centre, poor prognosis cancer, and previous adjuvant treatment with oxaliplatin. Chemotherapy consisted of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m² administered intravenously over 2 h, l-folinic acid (175 mg flat dose administered intravenously over 2 h) or d,l-folinic acid (350 mg flat dose administered intravenously over 2 h), and fluorouracil bolus 400 mg/m² administered intravenously over 5 min, followed by a 46 h infusion of fluorouracil 2400 mg/m² repeated every 2 weeks (regimen one), or oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² administered intravenously over 2 h and oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m² twice daily on days 1-14 repeated every 3 weeks (regimen two). Patients who had received adjuvant oxaliplatin could receive irinotecan 180 mg/m² intravenously over 30 min with fluorouracil instead of oxaliplatin (regimen three). Cetuximab was given intravenously, 500 mg/m² every 2 weeks with regimen one and three or a loading dose of 400 mg/m² followed by a weekly infusion of 250 mg/m² with regimen two. The primary endpoint of progression-free survival was published previously. Secondary endpoints were overall survival, preoperative response, pathological resection status, and safety. Trial recruitment was halted prematurely on the advice of the Trial Steering Committee on Nov 1, 2012. All analyses (except safety) were done on the intention-totreat population. Safety analyses included all randomly assigned patients. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number 22944367.

Of 192 anterior resections for rectal cancer performed over 10 years by one author (R.J.H.), 169 (88 per cent) included total mesorectal excision and all included lavage of the clamped distal rectum. Of this series, 152 (79 per cent) were classed as curative, 110 with a resection margin greater than 1 cm and 42 with a resection margin less than or equal to 1 cm. The group with a greater than 1 cm margin had a significantly lower Dukes' A to B ratio than the group with a margin less than or equal to 1 cm, although the proportion with Dukes' C lesions was similar in both groups (chi 2 = 6.712; P = 0.035). There were no local recurrences in the latter group (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) is 0-5.9 per cent) while there were four (3.6 per cent) in the former group (95 per cent CI is 0.8-7.4 per cent). There were no significant differences in recurrence rates, local and distant, between the two groups (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.2). Reduction of resection margin, provided total mesorectal excision and washout is properly performed, does not increase local recurrence or compromise survival.

The purpose of this study was to obtain quantitative measurements of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC1), flow insensitive apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC2) and perfusion fraction (F) of colorectal hepatic metastases using DWI and to compare these measurements with those obtained in liver parenchyma. Forty patients with 66 hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma were prospectively evaluated using DWI with three b values. Quantitative maps of the ADC1 (using b = 0, 150, 500 s/mm2 images), ADC2 (using b = 150, 500 s/mm2 images) and fractional variation (F) between ADC1 and ADC2, which reflects perfusion fraction, were calculated. The ADC1, ADC2 and F derived from metastases and liver parenchyma were compared. The mean ADC1 values of liver parenchyma and metastases were significantly higher than the mean ADC2 values (P < 0.0001, paired t-test). Colorectal metastases were found to have higher mean ADC1 and ADC2 values compared with liver (P < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test). However, the estimated F was found to be lower in metastases compared to liver (P = 0.03, Mann-Whitney test). Colorectal hepatic metastases were characterised by higher ADC1 and ADC2 values, but lower F values compared to liver.

Pancreatic infection is the leading cause of death from acute pancreatitis. Patients with severe necrotizing pancreatitis are most at risk. Early computed tomography and percutaneous fine-needle aspiration microbiology of areas of pancreatic necrosis enable early diagnosis. Pancreatic infection should be treated surgically, although sterile necrosis may be managed conservatively. The role of antimicrobial drugs is uncertain.