BACKGROUND/AIMS In spite of the new technology--stapler, antibiotics, anesthesia and new surgical and diagnostic procedures--the prognosis on treatment of cancer of the rectum has not changed in the last 50 years. Survival rates of 50-55% seems immutable in all published series. The main course for those results is the high incidence of recurrence, either local or widespread. Local recurrence is directly related to the number of undifferentiated cells and to the grade of wall invasion. So any kind of treatment that would diminish the number of undifferentiated cells and the size or the tumor wall penetration certainly would decrease the local recurrence rate, lengthening the interval free from cancer and, perhaps, modifying the long-term survival rate. Between 1978-1996, a total of 287 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma were treated by pre-operative RTD. METHODOLOGY The same RDT protocol was used in all the patients: 400 cGy, 200 cGy/day, during 4 consecutive weeks (anterior and posterior pelvic fields). Surgery was performed 7-10 days after completion of RDT. RESULTS Statistical analysis of the whole group showed that pre-operative RDT does decrease frequency of undifferentiated cells. Moreover, the incidence of local recurrence diminished after irradiation by 3.48%. Pre-operative RDT reduces tumor volume and wall invasion, as well as the mortality rate due to local recurrence (2.43%) and alters long-term survival rate (80.17%). CONCLUSIONS Pre-operative radiotherapy is really effective in reducing the number of undifferentiated cells and in diminishing the carcinomatous infiltration of the rectal wall.

Three hundred patients with hemorrhoidal disease were randomly allocated to either a semi-open hemorrhoidectomy (group A) or to an open procedure (group B). The aims of the trial were to investigate the healing time in both groups, to analyse and compare the incidence of post-operative complications and the use of analgesics. A secondary aim was to investigate the period of time required to reestablish the normal bowel habit. All patients had a follow-up of at least three months. The wound was observed daily in the first week and then, twice a week, till complete healing occurred. The dosage, route and amount of analgesic demanded by each patient was noted. Any observed complication and its consequent treatment were written down. As to healing time there was a statistically significant difference between both groups: whereas for group A the average healing time was 12.38 days, for group B it was 25.22 days. The incidence of post-operative complication such as granuloma and pruritus was higher in group B; urinary disturbances were similar in both groups. The patients of group A demanded a small amount of analgesics, statistically significant (p = 0.01), in the early as well as in the late post-operative period. The normal bowel habit was re-established earlier in group A and this was also statistically significant.