Late results of the combined treatment of rectal carcinoma with preoperative irradiation in high single doses

123 patients suffering from rectal carcinoma at stage T3N0M0 were subjected to a preoperative fractionated irradiation with high single doses (6.5 Gy). In comparison with 185 rectal carcinoma patients treated by surgical therapy only, it was shown that 71.3+-9.6 % of the preirradiated patients survived the 5-years' period, whereas only 20.0+-13.2 % of the patients without preirradiation survived longer than 5 years. At early carcinoma stages preirradiation had only a lower and statistically insignificant influence on the operative results