Anterior tumour location as a risk factor for local recurrence after laparoscopic surgery for stage I ultra-low rectal cancers: exploratory analysis of the Ultimate trial.

Authors

Atsushi Kohyama, Shinobu Ohnuma, Yuichiro Tsukada, Michiaki Unno, Jun Watanabe, Yosuke Fukunaga, Yasumitsu Hirano, Kazuhiro Sakamoto, Hiroki Hamamoto, Masanori Yoshimitsu, Hisanaga Horie, Nobuhisa Matsuhashi, Yoshiaki Kuriu, Shuntaro Nagai, Madoka Hamada, Shinichi Yoshioka, Tamuro Hayama, Koki Otsuka, Yusuke Inoue, Kazuki Ueda, Yuji Toiyama, Satoshi Maruyama, Shigeki Yamaguchi, Keitaro Tanaka, Motoko Suzuki, Toshihiro Misumi, Takeshi Naitoh, Masahiko Watanabe, Masaaki Ito, Ultimate Trial Group in the Japan Society of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery

Published in

BJS open. Volume 10. Issue 5. Sep 04, 2026.

Abstract

Anterior tumour location is an established risk factor for local recurrence (LR) in advanced rectal cancer, but its significance in stage I ultra-low rectal cancer remains unclear.
This exploratory supplemental analysis used data from Ultimate trial, a multicentre prospective phase II study across 47 Japanese institutions (2014-2017). Patients with cT1-2 N0 M0 ultra-low rectal cancer (≤ 5 cm from the anal verge) underwent laparoscopic resection. Tumour location was categorized as anterior (10-2 o'clock) or non-anterior (2-10 o'clock). The primary endpoint was LR; secondary endpoints included recurrence-free survival, overall survival, and stoma-free survival.
Of 300 enrolled patients, 297 were analysed (median follow-up 37.2 months); 93 tumours (31.3%) were anterior. Baseline characteristics, operative outcomes, and pathological findings were similar between the two groups. The 3-year cumulative LR rate was 11.9% for anterior tumours and 3.0% for non-anterior tumours (hazard ratio (HR) 4.46; 95% confidence interval (c.i.) 1.67 to 11.89; P = 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed an independent association between anterior location and LR (HR 4.68; 95% c.i. 1.72 to 12.74); subgroup analysis revealed no difference in clinical (c) T1 patients, but a significantly higher LR rate for anterior tumours in cT2 patients (25.3% versus 4.7%; P < 0.001). Three-year recurrence-free survival (83.9% for anterior tumours versus 88.9% for non-anterior tumours; P = 0.222), overall survival (> 95%), and stoma-free survival were comparable between the two groups.
Anterior tumour location in the ultra-low rectum was associated with an increased risk of LR, particularly in cT2 patients, highlighting the need for a more refined treatment strategy and vigilant monitoring.

PMID:
42814593
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Oct 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.