[Colorectal carcinoma. A review of our cases]

A retrospective study was carried out on patients who underwent surgery for colorectal carcinoma between January 1980 and December 1987 in order identify additional prognostic factors. A total of 203 patients were studied. The probability of survival in relation to time and other variables (sex, age, stage of disease) was assessed using Cox's proportional method with the aid of an EPILOG III statistics pack. The overall 60-month survival rate was 55% and no difference was found between colon and rectum. The following factors were taken into account as prognostic markers: the site of the carcinoma (colon or rectum), sex, age, the tract of the colon involved (right, transverse, left and sigma colon) and the stage of disease. None of these parameters, with the exception of the stage of disease, were statistically significant. On the contrary, the division into stages of disease showed a statistically significant difference in the 60-month survival curve which fell from approximately 80% for stages A, B1, B2 and B3 to 50% for stage C and to 0% for stage D.