A 60s man was diagnosed as having unresectable advanced rectal cancer with swelling of the para-aortic lymph nodes. Chemotherapy was administered, and the primary tumor immediately shrank. He still had para-aortic lymph node swelling; therefore, chemotherapy was continued for approximately 2 years. After long-term chemotherapy, we diagnosed his tumor as resectable because the para-aortic lymph node swelling had shrunk. We achieved curative resection, and he has shown no recurrence without adjuvant chemotherapy. Although chemotherapy is the main treatment for unresectable advanced colorectalcancer, it is important to consider curative resection, as in this case with long-term chemotherapy.