Long-term mortality and recurrence after colorectal cancer surgery with preoperative stenting: a Danish nationwide...

Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) used as a bridge to surgery for obstructive colorectal cancer (CRC) have fallen under suspicion for inducing tumor dissemination, and thereby increasing recurrence risk and long-term mortality. The aim of this study was to compare overall mortality and CRC recurrence in patients receiving preoperative SEMS vs. patients undergoing urgent resection.

This was a Danish, nationwide, population-based cohort study (2005 - 2010). For patients with CRC who survived the first 30 days after resection, the long-term survival in terms of mortality rate ratios was assessed using Cox regression with adjustment for important covariates. For patients with Dukes' A - C disease only, recurrence risk was similarly assessed using incidence rate ratios.

The 5-year survival was 49 % among 581 patients with preoperative SEMS and 40 % among 3333 patients undergoing urgent resection, corresponding to an adjusted mortality rate ratio of 0.98 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.90 to 1.07). For patients with Dukes' stage A - C disease, the 5-year recurrence risk was 39 % among 286 patients after preoperative SEMS and 30 % among 1627 patients after urgent resection, corresponding to an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.12 (95 %CI 0.99 to 1.28).

Long-term mortality associated with the use of SEMS as a bridge to surgery was comparable to that of urgent resection. SEMS use may be associated with an increased CRC recurrence risk.