[Reoperation in rectal cancer (author's transl)].

Carcinoma of the rectum is reported to have a local recurrence rate of 3-48 percent. In 80 percent of cases, recurrence appears within 2 years after the first operation. The possible causes of its occurrence and its localization are discussed. Early diagnosis is important. Follow-up examinations are therefore necessary every 3 months in the first 2 years. Curative secondary operations are rare. In pelvic, perineal, and genital recurrence, radiation therapy is usually considered to be the treatment of choice.