Exfoliation as a mode of cancer elimination in rectal carcinoma.

A histopathological survey of surgical materials from 143 patients with rectal carcinoma subjected to chemotherapy and low-dose radiotherapy with tegafur and bleomycin was carried out. The chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy brought about better results than chemotherapy alone. In 4 of the 58 patients treated with radiochemotherapy, no cancer cells could be found in surgical specimens. Exfoliation into the rectal lumen of cohorts of cancer cells may occur in some cases of rectal carcinoma thus treated, resulting in cancer cell elimination.