Recurrent rectal or rectosigmoid cancer is a difficult therapeutic problem. A treatment program of external beam irradiation, surgery, and intraoperative irradiation has been used for 41 patients. The 5-year actuarial local control and disease-free survival of all 41 patients was 30% and 16%, respectively. Subset analysis demonstrated differences in outcome by extent of surgical resection. The 5-year actuarial local control and disease-free survival of 27 patients undergoing complete resection was 47% and 21%, respectively. By contrast, the outcome of 14 patients undergoing partial resection was poor, with a 5-year actuarial local control and survival of 21% and 7%, respectively. Late complications included soft tissue or peripheral nerve injury, with many of these resolving within 4-18 months. Local control and disease-free survival rates are favorable in comparison with the results achieved by aggressive surgery. Patients who achieve a gross total resection at intraoperative irradiation have a markedly better prognosis than that of patients with residual gross disease.