The local recurrence rate of rectal cancer is high, with an incidence of about 8.8%, and the 5-year survival rate after radical resection is reported to be 20%-40% abroad. Local recurrence foci can be divided into 3 types, namely, restricted, sacral infiltrative and lateral infiltrative types. Anastomotic recurrence is one of the restricted types with a high rate of re-surgical resection, while surgical radical resection is more difficult for the sacral infiltrative and lateral infiltrative types. The prognosis of the three types of local recurrence also differs, with foreign reports reporting a 5-year survival rate of 40.9% for the limited type; 11.4% for the sacral infiltrative type; and zero for the lateral infiltrative type. Newer views suggest that extended surgery (such as total pelvic organ resection) should be performed with caution in patients with the sacral infiltrative type because of the low quality of life of the patient after surgery.