Direct Tumor Involvement in Resection Margin Signals Worse Prognosis in Rectal Cancer

Rectal cancer patients with a positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) due to direct tumor involvement face a worse prognosis than those with indirect causes. Analyzing 1460 cases, 85 had positive CRMs, with direct involvement linked to increased local recurrence. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed better overall and disease-free survival in indirect cases. The study emphasizes the need for improved stratification to guide treatment decisions based on the mode of CRM positivity.