Intersphincteric abdominoperineal resection with radical en bloc prostatectomy for synchronous or locally advanced rectal or prostate cancer.

Introduction: For patients with locally advanced rectal cancer invading the prostate or prostate cancer invading the rectum a negative resection margin (R0) is the most important criterion to predict local recurrence and disease-free survival. Following neoadjuvant treatment (when indicated), pelvic exenteration is often the surgical treatment of choice in these patients, involving en bloc excision of the rectum, prostate, and bladder to ensure clear resection margins and resulting in a colostomy and ileal conduit. The surgery is most commonly performed by laparotomy. We describe an alternative less invasive option for synchronous or locally advanced rectal or prostate cancer in the form of a laparoscopic (or robotic assisted) intersphincteric abdominoperineal resection (APR) with en bloc prostatectomy and urinary reconstruction in selected patients.

Methods: Patients with synchronous rectal and prostate disease or locally advanced rectal and/or prostate cancer undergoing minimally invasive intersphincteric APR with en bloc prostatectomy with urinary reconstruction were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint was the proportion of negative resection margins. Secondary endpoints included complications and disease recurrence.

Results: Eleven consecutive patients were identified. All patients had negative resection margins and there were no patients with disease recurrence of either rectal or prostate cancer after a median follow-up of 26 months (IQR 63). There were no same admission reoperations, two patients with a postoperative ileus and two patients with an urinary leak, of which one had a delayed leak at 7 months which was repaired. Urinary incontinence rates varied, but only one patient was referred for insertion of an artificial urinary sphincter.

Conclusion: Intersphincteric minimal invasive APR with en bloc prostatectomy is a feasible alternative to complete pelvic exenteration in selected patients with synchronous or locally advanced rectal and/or prostate cancer.