[Gastrocolic tumor progression--a possibility or mere supposition?]

The authors examined the five-years postoperative survival rate of fifty patients who suffered from colorectal cancer along with the fact that the large bowel one of the neighbouring organs were resected. The subjects were divided into four groups: the colorectal resection was associated with (1) stomach resection (13 patients); (2) liver metastasectomy (14 patients); (3) small bowel resection (10 patients); (4) the resection of other organs (13 patients). In the first two years of the study they were examined once in every three months, in the next two years once in every six months and then yearly. The following tests were carried out: chest X ray, abdominal sonography, irrigography or colonoscopy and CEA. On condition that the colonoscope reached the caecum and the result was negative, the test was repeated only a year later. The patients were operated on between 1985 and 1997. The statistical analysis was made with the help of the Kaplan-Meier method. During this period fifty-six complex resections were performed. Out of fifty-six patients fifty were followed. Compliance 89%. In group 1, where the average age of patients was sixty-two years, one patient died in the forty-first and the other in the fifty-second month after the surgery. Survival rate: 11/13 (83%). The survival rates for the other groups were as follows: group 2 (average age 64) twelve patients died within five years. Survival rate 2/14 (14%). The difference between the survival rates in the first two groups in significant (P = 0.0001). Group 3 (average age 67) seven died and only three survived. Survival rate: 3/10 (30%). The difference between group 1 and group 3 is significant (P = 0.0022). Group 4 (average age 64) seven patients died. Survival rate 6/13 (46%). Comparing this rate to that of the group 1, the difference is not significant (P > 0.01). Having analysed the results of the four groups it can be concluded that the patients of group 1 lived the longest (stomach resection) and those of group 2 (liver metastasectomy) died the earliest after the operation. It is surprising that the patients of group 3 lived significantly shorter than the ones of group 1 in spite of the fact that they belong by far the greatest number to stage Dukes B (group 1: 12/13 = 92%; group 3: 7/10 = 70%). The authors assume that the partial or the total absence of the stomach keeps back the growth of the tumour (gastro-colic tumour growing dependency). They think that in case of colon cancer which infiltrates the stomach surgeons experienced in gastric and colorectal surgery should be encouraged to take the risk of the double resection providing the fact that the operation is accomplishable.