Villous adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum: a clinicopathologic study of 36 cases

Some colorectal adenocarcinomas show villous architecture with morphologic similarities to tubulovillous or villous adenomas. We reviewed 420 consecutive colorectal adenocarcinoma resection specimens and found that 95 tumors (23%) showed areas of villous architecture. Thirty-six tumors (8.6%) in 35 patients showed more than 50% villous architecture and were designated villous adenocarcinomas. Only 42% of the villous adenocarcinomas showed severe atypia and only 44% of the available pre-resection biopsies of these tumors were diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. Epithelial islands in desmoplastic stroma (EIDS) may be helpful in the diagnosis of these tumors. EIDS were found in 97% of the resection specimens for villous adenocarcinomas and none of 62 resection specimens for tubulovillous or villous adenomas. The presence of EIDS showed a 67% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 100% predictive value in the diagnosis of villous adenocarcinoma in a blinded review of villous tumors. On review of the pre-resection biopsies of villous adenocarcinoma without a final diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, 40% showed EIDS. Clinical follow-up of the 35 patients with villous adenocarcinoma showed that only one died of colorectal adenocarcinoma (median follow-up, 46 months). This sole patient dying of colorectal adenocarcinoma showed a synchronous advanced stage of nonvillous adenocarcinoma at the time of diagnosis. Villous adenocarcinoma is a diagnostically challenging subset of colorectal adenocarcinoma, which appears to be associated with a favorable prognosis. Classifying these tumors as a special type of colorectal cancer may facilitate the development of diagnostic adjuncts and optimal treatment protocols.     

Surgical treatment of tumors of the distal rectum with sphincter preservation.

One hundred one patients with villous adenoma or invasive carcinoma of the distal rectum treated with local excision or coloanal anastomosis were studied. Twenty-three (45%) of the 51 patients with villous adenomas had transanal excision, another 23 (45%) had a posterior proctotomy, and five (10%) had a coloanal anastomosis. Only two patients with a villous adenoma developed a recurrence requiring repeat local excision. Fifteen (30%) of the 50 patients with invasive cancer were treated by transanal excision. All had tumors confined to the submucosa or superficial muscularis. Eighteen (85%) of 21 patients having posterior proctotomy also had tumors with similar depth of invasion. Six (43%) of the 14 patients having coloanal anastomosis had Dukes' B tumors, six (43%) were Dukes' C, and another two (14%) underwent palliative resection. The overall actuarial 5-year survival was 77%. Only four patients treated by transanal excision or posterior proctotomy died of metastatic disease. In the coloanal group, two of 12 patients undergoing curative resection died of recurrent cancer, and another has a pelvic recurrence. Villous adenomas of the distal rectum and selected carcinomas may be treated with local excision and coloanal anastomosis with preservation of sphincter function with good results.     

Villous tumors of the duodenum: Reappraisal of local vs. extended resection

Benign villous tumors of the duodenum are often managed by transduodenal local excision. Risk of local recurrence, coupled with improving safety of radical pancreaticoduodenectomy, has prompted reexamination of the roles of conservative and radical operations. The aim of this study was to determine long-term outcome after local and extended resection in order to identify factors to consider in planning operative strategy. Eighty-six patients (mean age 64 years) with villous tumors of the duodenum managed surgically from 1980 to 1997 were reviewed. Histologic findings, size, presence of polyposis syndromes, and extent of resection were correlated with outcome. Villous tumors were benign adenomas in 64 patients (74%), contained carcinoma in situ in three (4%), and invasive carcinoma in 19 (22%). The presence of cancer was not known preoperatively in 9 (47%) of the 19 with invasive carcinoma. Operative treatment included transduodenal local excision in 53 patients, pancreaticoduodenectomy in 20, pancreas-sparing duodenectomy in five, full-thickness excision in four, and other in six. Among the 50 patients with benign tumors managed by local excision, 17 had a recurrence with actuarial rates of 32% at 5 years and 43% at 10 years; four of the recurrences (24%) were adenocarcinomas. The recurrence rate was influenced by the presence of a polyposis syndrome but not by tumor size. Recurrence of benign villous tumors after local excision is common and may be malignant. Pancreaticoduodenectomy is appropriate for villous tumors containing cancer and may be considered an alternative for select patients with benign villous tumors of the duodenum. If local excision is performed, regular postoperative endoscopic surveillance is mandatory. Presented at the Fortieth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Orlando, Fla., May 16–19, 1999, and published as an abstract in Gastroenterology 116:A1310, 1999.     

Villous tumors of the duodenum.

Villous tumors of the duodenum are rare, but treatment may be problematic because of their association with invasive adenocarcinoma. Two cases of villous tumor of the duodenum are described and 39 other reported cases are reviewed. Presenting symptoms were bleeding 27%; obstruction 24%; jaundice 22% and vague dyspepsia 20%. Diagnosis may be made by radiographic barium contrast evaluation of the duodenum, especially with the addition of air contrast hypotonic studies and by fibro-optic endoscopy. Twenty-seven per cent of villous tumors of the duodenum are associated with adenocarcinoma. Invasive tumor is more common in patients over 50 years old (35%), in tumors of the third and fourth portions of the duodenum (44%) and in tumors over 4 cm in diameter (30%). Local excision is the treatment of choice for benign lesions. Pancreatico-duodenectomy is recommended for tumors which include invasive carcinoma in patients without distal metastases.     

Duodenal villous tumors

The treatment of 36 patients with duodenal villous tumors was reviewed to determine the long-term outcome of various surgical treatment options for specific adenoma histopathology. Duodenal villous tumors were typically solitary and periampullary in location. Villous adenomas contained epithelial atypia in 30% of patients, in situ carcinoma in 14%, and invasive carcinoma in 33%. Treatment consisted of transduodenal submucosal excision in 19 patients and radical pancreaticoduodenectomy in 15. There was no perioperative mortality. Perioperative morbidity for transduodenal excision and pancreaticoduodenectomy was 16% and 47%, respectively. Benign adenomas recurred more than 5 years postoperatively in 17% of patients undergoing transduodenal excision. Five-year survival following radical resection for invasive cancers was 45%. Overall median follow-up was 5.8 years. We conclude that duodenal villous tumors without invasive cancer can be managed successfully by local submucosal excision, but invasive carcinoma requires radical resection.     

结肠绒毛状腺瘤X线诊断的价值

目的研究X线表现在结肠绒毛状腺瘤诊断上的应用价值。方法回顾性分析26例经手术和病理证实的结肠绒毛状腺瘤的X线表现。所有病例均行低张双对比灌肠造影。结果该组患者中,病变主要位于直肠、乙状结肠占73.1%。绒毛状腺瘤X线主要征象:所有病例均显示,腔内突出的肿块充盈缺损(100%),肿块表面不规则分叶,结节状隆起及细网状结构。3例肿块表面可见溃疡。结论结肠绒毛状腺瘤,特别是地毯型及菜花型在X线钡灌肠造影中有较特异的表现,X线表现反映了结肠绒毛状腺瘤的病理特点,X线钡灌肠造影检查是诊断结肠绒毛状腺瘤重要而有效的手段。     

Treatment of villous adenoma of distal parts of the colon

Results of treatment of 78 patients (mean age 64 years) operated for benign neoplasms of a colon distal part are presented. In histologic examination tubular adenoma was found in 34 cases, tubular-villose adenoma--in 27, villose adenoma with different degree of epithelium dysplasia--in 16. In 10 patients villous tumors were located in low-ampular part of the rectum at the distance less than 7 cm from dermal-mucose line of the anal canal, in 27 patients--at 8 to 12 cm, in 42--at 12 to 20 cm. Area of neoplasm base in 53 patients ranged from 1.0 to 2.0 cm2, in 15--from 2.1 to 6 cm2, in 11-43 cm2, it was 14 cm2 on the average. For patients of the first group wire endoscopic polipectomy was adequate procedure. In 25% patients with neoplasm area more 2 cm2 recurrence of the disease was revealed from 3 months to 1 year after staged endoscopic polipectomy. Possibility of incomplete removal of creeping neoplasm at staged endoscopic electroexcision dictates the necessity of control colonoscopy 1 month after the procedure. If villous tumor recurs during 1 year in spite of repeated endoscopic procedures, it is reasonable to resect the colon because of danger of malignant transformation of the tumor. In 12 patients with villous adenomas location at 7-20 cm from the anal ring transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) by G. Buess et al (1984) was performed. In follow-up for 25.8 months on the average recurrences of the disease were not revealed. TEM is thought as alternative to anterior resection of the rectum in benign tumors.     

Villous adenomas of the colorectum.

During a ten-year period 258 patients with villous adenomas were seen at the Massachusetts General Hospital: seventy-four of these patients (29%) had invasive cancer that developed in adenomas. The operative mortality ascribed to removal of benign adenomas was zero, but for cancer arising in villous adenomas it was 3 per cent. Therapy often is difficult because of the size and location of the tumors. Methods of removal have been considered in detail.     

Intrarectal ultrasonography in the staging and management of rectal tumors

Intrarectal ultrasonography (IRUS) was used in the preoperative staging of 17 patients with rectal neoplasms. Fourteen patients had biopsy proven adenocarcinoma, and three others had large villous adenomas. Comparisons were made between clinical examination, IRUS staging and subsequent histopathologic staging. IRUS was performed with a Bruel and Kjaer radial scanner, type 1849, equipped with a 7.0 MHz transducer. IRUS accurately staged 3/3 rectal villous adenomas, and 11/13 rectal adenocarcinomas compared with histopathology. Clinical exam correctly staged all three villous tumors, and 6/9 carcinomas (24% of lesions were not palpable). IRUS correctly diagnosed the status of regional nodes in 88% of patients. IRUS is a highly accurate preoperative staging tool for rectal cancers both in delineating depth of bowel wall invasion and in assessing regional lymph nodes. It is easy to perform, safe, and well tolerated by the patients. IRUS has definitely arrived as the state of the art in evaluating rectal neoplasms and may impact heavily on surgical decision making for these neoplasms.     

Histological changes associated with the use of intravenous cyclosporin in the treatment of severe ulcerative colitis may mimic dysplasia

Background During six years experience of intravenous cyclosporin (iv Cy) for severe ulcerative colitis we have noted that changes of villous architecture and epithelial regeneration occur even when the disease fails to enter clinical remission and colectomy is required. Objective To describe the histological changes in patients who received iv Cy and steroids compared with those treated with iv steroids alone. Patients and methods Two groups of histological sections were reviewed. The first group was of 23 colectomy specimens from patients who had been treated with iv Cy and steroids. For 11 patients pre‐Cy histological sections were available. The second group was of 10 colectomy specimens from patients who had received iv steroids alone. Biopsies were scored for their histological disease activity (HDAI), villous architecture and epithelial regeneration. The HDAI assesses the degree of acute and chronic inflammation. Results The post‐Cy group had higher median scores for villous architecture and epithelial regeneration compared to the pre‐Cy and poststeroid groups. For the patients where both pre‐ and post‐Cy histological sections were available 63% increased their villous score post‐Cy and 82% increased their epithelial regeneration score post‐Cy. Conclusion Although villous transformation and epithelial regeneration may be seen in UC they are more frequent and more severe in those patients who received iv Cy and iv steroids, compared to controls who received iv steroids alone. These histological changes may mimic dysplasia. Increased awareness of this potential mimic of dysplasia is crucial for patient management.     

Villous adenoma of the urinary tract: a report of 23 cases, including 8 with coexistent adenocarcinoma.

Villous adenoma originating in the urinary tract is uncommon. We present the first study of a large number of cases of villous adenoma of the urinary tract with clinical follow-up. Our series consisted of 15 patients with isolated villous adenoma and 8 patients with coexistent adenocarcinoma. The tumors occurred in elderly patients and had a predilection for the urachus, dome, and trigone of the urinary bladder. The typical clinical presentation was hematuria and irritative symptoms, and endoscopic examination usually identified a tumor growth. There was no gender predominance. Light microscopic examination showed morphologic similarity to colonic villous adenoma in all cases. Each tumor was composed of pointed or blunt finger-like processes lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium. The epithelial cells displayed nuclear stratification, nuclear crowding, nuclear hyperchromasia, and occasional prominent nucleoli and mitotic figures. There was intense carcinoembryonic antigen immunoreactivity on the luminal surfaces (89%). Most cases (78%) contained cytoplasmic acid mucin, demonstrated by Alcian blue periodic acid-Schiff stain. Cytokeratin 20 was positive in all cases, cytokeratin 7 was positive in 56% of cases, and epithelial membrane antigen was positive in 22% of cases. Recurrence or invasive adenocarcinoma did not develop in any patient with isolated villous adenoma during a mean follow-up of 9.9 years. Lung metastasis developed in one patient with coexistent adenocarcinoma and multiple recurrences in another (mean follow-up, 3 years). We conclude that the prognosis is excellent in patients with isolated villous adenoma, and complete surgical resection is curative. Patients with coexistent adenocarcinoma may experience recurrence or distant metastasis, and more aggressive treatment may be indicated.     

Villous adenoma of the duodenum: A case report and review of the literature

A case of villous adenoma of the duodenum, with focal in situ carcinomatous changes, has been described with a review of forty-two other case reports from the world literature. Occult bleeding, resulting in anemia, and vague obstructive symptoms appear to be the most common presenting findings. The average age was 56.4 years, which was seven years younger than the average age for villous tumors of the colon. Adequate radiologic studies should establish the diagnosis preoperatively. These tumors obtain relatively large size before causing significant symptoms. Approximately one third showed carcinomatous changes, and approximately one half of these were in situ changes. Local segmental resection for duodenal villous tumors is desirable when possible. However, in areas where this is not feasible, local mucosal excision is acceptable for benign tumors and for those with in situ carcinoma. If invasive carcinoma is found in the excised specimen, pancreatoduodenectomy is recommended. Insufficient evidence is available to adequately evaluate survival for malignant villous tumors of the duodenum, but the available data suggest that the survival after treatment of malignant villous tumors is comparable to other malignant lesions originating in the duodenum.     

Villous tumors of the colon

Under observation there were 26 men and 15 women with villous tumors of the colon. Radical operations were performed on 26 patients. Two of them died in the postoperative period. Eighteen patients survived for more than 5 years.     

Tumor of the ampulla of Vater: experience with local or radical resection in 171 consecutively treated patients.

HYPOTHESIS: This study was designed to evaluate prospectively oncological factors determining survival after resection of tumors of the papilla, comparing local and radical oncological resection. We hypothesized that, in malignant lesions of the ampulla, the T and N stages are major determinants of the patient's long-term outcome. BACKGROUND DATA: The frequency of malignant lesions in adenomas of the papilla is about 26%. Villous adenoma of the ampulla is considered a premalignant lesion. Local excision has been recommended for benign adenoma and pancreatoduodenectomy for malignant lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1, 1982, through June 30, 1997, 171 patients with tumors of the ampulla of Vater were surgically treated. Demographics, intraoperative factors, tumor pathological findings, and postoperative short- and long-term follow-up data were documented prospectively. Of the patients, 45 had adenoma of the papilla and 126 had malignant lesions of the ampulla. RESULTS: Local resection was performed in 40 of the 45 patients with adenoma. In 98 of the 126 patients with malignant lesions, a radical Kausch-Whipple resection or pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was used. Of the patients with benign adenoma, 40 had local resection and 5 had pylorus-preserving pancreatic head resection, with a hospital mortality of 0%. Thirty of 35 patients had villous adenoma, 9 (30%) of the 30 with severe dysplasia. Of the 126 patients with malignant lesions, 98 had partial pancreatoduodenectomy and 10 had ampullectomy, with an overall hospital mortality of 3.1% for patients who underwent resection. Seventy-eight of the 98 patients had an R0 resection. The 5-year survival probability for all patients who underwent resection was 84% for cancer stage I, 70% for stage II, and 27% for stage III. In 8 patients with villous adenoma and carcinoma in situ and in 10 patients with cancer in the adenoma, ampullectomy with local lymph node dissection was performed. In 4 of the patients who had villous adenoma and a carcinoma in stage pT1 N0, an R0 resection was performed, resulting in cure of cancer. On the basis of a multivariate regression analysis, the prognosis after oncological resection of cancer of the ampulla is determined by the absence of lymph node metastasis (P<.05), the absence of infiltration into the pancreatic head tissue (P<.05), and the application of an R0 resection. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with villous adenoma of the ampulla, ampullectomy was an adequate surgical treatment. In patients with a low-risk cancer in stages pTis and pT1 N0 M0, G1 or G2, a local resection with ampullectomy including local lymph node dissection is justified. An oncological resection of cancer of the ampulla by means of a pylorus-preserving partial pancreatoduodenectomy or the Kausch-Whipple resection is the surgical procedure of choice; the 3- and 5-year survival rates were 72% and 52%, respectively, in patients with R0 resections.     

Pancreatic mucinous ductal ectasia and intraductal papillary neoplasms. A single malignant clinicopathologic entity.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to review a single institutional experience with mucinous ductal ectasia (MDE) and intraductal papillary neoplasms (IPNs) and to compare the clinicopathologic features of the two groups of tumors. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Mucinous ductal ectasia and IPNs represent newly recognized categories of pancreatic exocrine tumors, previously confused with pancreatic cystic neoplasms. The natural history of MDE and IPN is not well understood, and it is unclear whether MDE and IPN represent two distinct tumors or the same clinicopathologic entity. METHODS: The authors reviewed the clinical presentation, treatment, histopathology, and outcomes of 23 patients diagnosed with MDE or IPN at their institution over the past 6 years. RESULTS: The mean age at presentation for the cohort of patients with MDE and IPN was 62.5 years. The prevalence of abdominal pain was 75%, jaundice 25%, weight loss 42%, steatorrhea 37.5%, diabetes 37.5%, and history of pencreatitis 29%. Serum CA 19-9 levels ranged from 0 to 5350 units/mL with high levels reflecting advanced disease. There were no significant differences between MDE and IPN with respect to these parameters. Both MDE and IPN comprised papillary villous epithelial neoplasms involving the main and large pancreatic ducts. The tumors ranged from a few millimeters in size to panductal and were distinguished easily from cystic neoplasms in all cases. Invasive carcinoma was present in 11 (46%) of 24 patients, carcinoma in situ in an additional 10 (42%) of 24 patients, and low grade dysplasia in the remaining 3 (12%) of 24 patients. Mucinous ductal ectasia and IPN differed histopathologically only in degree of mucin secretion and tumor location. Mucinous ductal ectasia, but not IPN, was characteristically mucin-hypersecreting and more frequently involved the head of the gland than did IPN (11/16 vs. 1/8 p < 0.04). All patients were explored surgically and 20 (83%) of 24 of the tumors were resectable with frozen section control of the duct margins (9 pancreatoduodenectomies, 4 distal pencreatectomies, 7 total pancreatectomies). Despite the 88% prevalence of cancer, the overall survival at a mean follow-up of 21 months was 13 (87%) of 15 for MDE and 5 (71%) of 7 for IPN. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal papillary neoplasms with or without MDE represent a spectrum of main duct papillary tumors ranging from adenoma to carcinoma with differing amounts of extracellular mucin production. Malignant IPNs with or without MDE typically exhibit extensive intraductal growth but are slow to invade the periductal tissues and slow to metastasize. The majority of patients with these tumors have resectable disease and a favorable prognosis; endoscopic therapy is inappropriate. The encompessing term intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors is appropriate.     

Indications and results of mucosal proctectomy with colo-anal anastomosis in villous disease of the rectum]

The objective of this study was to define the indication for proctectomy and colo-anal anastomosis in large rectal villous adenomas. The study population consisted of 20 patients (12 men and 8 women; mean age 63.6) who underwent rectal excision and colo-anal anastomosis from 1990 to 1997. The average size of tumors was 59.8 mm; 18 tumors were located in the lower third of the rectal ampulla; 8 patients had prior treatment (surgical or medical) before proctectomy. There were 13 straight colo-anal anastomoses and 7 constructed with colonic J pouch. Eighty percent of the anastomoses were defunctioned by a temporary stoma. The overall morbidity included one case of pelvic sepsis, two anastomotic strictures and one colonic trans-anal prolapse. One patient experienced persistent mild fecal incontinence and two others developed urogenital. The mean hospital stay was 14.4 days and 8.5 days for stoma closure. 8 tumors contained malignancy: 3 Tis, 4 T1 and 1 T2. In our opinion the extension, natural history or potential of occult malignancy of large rectal villous adenomas may requires rectal excision with colo-anal anastomosis with low morbidity and good functional results.     

经肛门括约肌手术在直肠外科中的应用

目的 探讨经肛门括约肌路径的手术(Mason手术)在直肠外科中的应用.方法 回顾性分析1990年8月至2008年12月150例中下段直肠疾病患者施行Mason手术的经验. 结果150例中直肠绒毛状腺瘤75例,早期直肠癌48例,进展期直肠癌9例.以直肠类癌为主的黏膜下结节23例,直肠肿瘤中行直肠部分切除术120例,直肠节段切除术6例.直肠阴道/尿道瘘21例,其中一次修补成功者17例(81%).术后伤口积液感染6例(4%),直肠-皮肤瘘5例.获随访的46例早期直肠癌中2例肿瘤局部复发(2/46).其中存活超过5年者39例,占84.5%(39/46).150例术后均未发生肛门失禁.结论 Mason手术具有手术进路直达,术野表浅和显露良好的特点,适用于可行局部手术治疗的中下段直肠良恶性疾病.     

Adenocarcinoma and lymphoma of the small intestine. Distribution and etiologic associations.

Malignant small-bowel tumors in 171 patients over 64 years included 68 with adenocarcinomas, 41 with primary lymphomas, 50 with carcinoids, and 12 with sarcomas. The distribution of the carcinomas showed approximately 80% preponderance in the duodenum and proximal jejunum. A similar distribution in the upper small bowel in small-bowel carcinomas induced in Fischer and Sprague-Dawley rats by azoxymethane (90-160 mg/kg) suggests defense mechanisms within ileal mucosa. The clinical series from 1958 to 1976 included two Crohn's carcinomas (jejunum, defunctioned ileum), two jejunal cancers (lymphoma, carcinoma) associated with celiac disease, two duodenal carcinomas arising in villous adenomas, and one jejunal lymphoma following exposure to irradiation. Multiple primary malignancies were found in 20 to 25% of enteric cancers. Hemorrhage was more common with carcinoma than lymphoma, but lymphomas predominated considering perforation or a palpable mass. Both carcinoma and lymphoma had 75 to 80% resectability rates and 14 to 15% five-year postoperative survival rates. The prognosis was least poor for carcinoma of the jejunum, one third of patients with "curative" resections surviving five years.     

Treatment Options for Villous Adenoma of the Ampulla of Vater

Introduction: Duodenal villous adenoma arising from the ampulla of Vater has a high risk of malignant development. Excluding associated malignant disease prior to resection of an adenoma of the ampulla is not always possible. Therefore, the surgical procedure of choice to treat this rare tumour is still controversial.Objective: To evaluate retrospectively results of treatment of villous adenoma arising from ampulla of Vater with dysplasia or associated carcinoma limited to the ampulla.Patients and Methods: From 1985 to 1996, eight patients have been diagnosed with ampullary villous adenoma suitable for resection. We have reviewed treatment, morbidity, mortality, follow-up and final outcome.Results: Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) was performed in 4 patients. Transduodenal ampullectomy and endoscopic resection was performed in 2 patients each. There was no perioperative mortality. None of the patients had biliary, pancreatic or intestinal leakage but two patients who underwent PD had minor postoperative complications. The mean follow-up was 44 (range: 6–132) months. Villous adenoma was associated with adenocarcinoma in 50% of the cases (4/8 patients). During the followup both patients who underwent transduodenal ampullectomy developed recurrent disease. All patients initially treated by PD are alive without evidence of recurrent disease.Conclusions: Treatment of villous adenoma of the ampulla must be individualized within certain limits. In our series, PD achieve good results and it appears to be the procedure of choice in order to treat villous adenomas with proved presence of carcinoma, carcinoma in situ or severe dysplasia. Endoscopic or local resection may be appropriate for small benign tumours in high risk patients.     

Lasers in rectosigmoid tumours

The argon and the Nd-YAG lasers were used in the Lille Multidisciplinary Laser Centre for endoscopic destruction of rectosigmoid tumours over a 10 year period in 530 patients. The goal of the treatment was palliation of a rectal cancer (200 patients), palliation of a rectal polyposis after total colectomy (17 patients) and cure of a benign rectosigmoid villous adenoma (313 patients). The initial success and complications rates were, respectively, 88 and 2.7% for rectal cancers, 92 and 2% for villous adenomas and 100 and 0% for rectal polyposis. Average duration of improvement was 10.1 months for advanced rectosigmoid cancers. During a 3.1 years average follow up, the recurrence rate was 14% in patients with a villous adenoma. Immediate results were affected by the reason for treatment, the initial symptoms and the circumferential extension of the tumour base in advanced cancers and only by the circumferential extension in villous adenomas. Long-term results were affected by the reason for treatment and the circumferential extension in advanced cancers and the reason for treatment, initial histology and location in villous adenomas.