PURPOSE: To investigate potential prognostic factors, including hemoglobin levels before and during radiotherapy, for associations with survival and local control in patients with unirradiated locally recurrent rectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten potential prognostic factors were investigated in 94 patients receiving radiotherapy for recurrent rectal cancer: age (or=69 years), gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (0-1 vs. 2-3), American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage (50 Gy), and hemoglobin levels before (or=12 g/dL) and during (majority of levels: or=12 g/dL) radiotherapy. Multivariate analyses were performed, including hemoglobin levels, either before or during radiotherapy (not both) because these are confounding variables. RESULTS: Improved survival was associated with better performance status (por=12 g/dL both before (p=0.031) and during (por=12 g/dL before (p
