Colon Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Colon Cancer, including details on causes, treatment, symptoms.

Differences in patient postoperative and long-term outcomes between obstructive and perforated colonic cancer.

Biondo S, Kreisler E, Millan M, Fraccalvieri D, Golda T, Martí Ragué J, Salazar R

Department of Surgery, Colorectal Unit, University Hospital of Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. sebastianobiondo@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND: The aim of this observational study was to analyze the differences between patients with obstructive and perforated colonic cancer who managed with emergency curative surgery. METHODS: Between January 1994 and December 2000, patients deemed to have undergone curative resection for complicated colonic cancer were considered for inclusion in the study. They were classified into 2 groups: patients with obstructive cancer (OC) and patients with perforated cancer (PC). The main end points were postsurgical outcomes and long-term overall survival, cancer-related survival, and tumor recurrence. RESULTS: Of the 236 patients, surgery was deemed to be radical and performed with intent to cure in 155 patients (65.7%): 117 patients in the OC group and 38 patients in the PC group. No statistical differences were observed between the percentage of radical surgery between the 2 groups (P = .63). The overall postsurgical mortality rate was 12.2%: 14 patients in the OC group and 5 patients in the PC group (P = .839). Overall survival, probability of being free of recurrence, and cancer-related survival of the entire series were 64.57%, 67.72% and 73.03%, respectively. There were no differences between the 2 groups with respect to tumor recurrence, type of recurrence, overall survival, probability of being free of recurrence, and cancer-related survival at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, patients with perforated colonic cancer do not seem to show worse long-term outcomes than those with OC. Studies with larger series are needed for further investigations.

Published 25 March 2008 in Am J Surg, 195(4): 427-32.
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