Colorectal cancer involving the urinary tract

The survival rate among patients with colorectal cancer classified as Dukes' B or C who underwent extended resection due to infiltration of neighboring structures is significantly lower than among patients in the same Dukes' stage without infiltration of adjacent structures. Seventy-one patients with rectosigmoid cancer (37 primary and 34 recurrent tumors) involving the urogenital tract were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with primary tumors had a markedly higher mean survival rate after radical surgery (60.7 months) than after palliative procedures (28.2 months), while no such difference was seen among patients with recurrent tumors (17.6 or 14.1 months, respectively). From the urologic point of view, radical intervention is mandatory in cases of primary rectosigmoid carcinoma involving the urogenital tract. Aggressive surgery for recurrent tumors appears questionable, however; in these cases, priority should be given to improving the quality of life, recommending palliative surgery as the preferable approach.