Local involvement of the lower urinary tract in primary colorectal cancer - outcome after en-bloc resection

Invasion of urinary organs due to advanced colorectal cancer can comprise a surgical challenge in achieving negative resection margins. The aim of the study was to asses the outcome of patients with colorectal cancer invading the lower urinary organs.

This is a cohort study that retrospectively evaluated the surgical and pathological findings after the resection of colorectal cancer with adjacent urological organs due to advanced colorectal cancer. Patients with primary colorectal cancer invading urological organs where primary resection was attempted were included.

The study included 31 patients who underwent surgery in our department between 1997 and 2012. Median age was 65 years (range 44-77 years). Seventeen patients underwent partial cystectomy, one had partial prostatectomy performed, eight patients underwent cystoprostatectomy, two had cystectomy performed and three had prostatectomy performed. Overall morbidity rate was 71% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 55-84%, n=22). The 30-day mortality rate was 10% (95% CI: 0-23%, n=3). Twentyseven of 31 patients had free resection margins. Four of 28 patients developed distant metastasis (14%, 95% CI: 4-29%), 11% developed local recurrence (95% CI: 0-25%, n=3). Median follow-up was 41 months (range 0-150 months). Histopathological examination revealed tumour invasion in 52% (95% CI: 35-69%, n=15) of the resected urological organs. The overall five-year survival rate was 70%. The five-year survival rate in the radical resection group was 74%.

En-bloc resection of colorectal cancer with adjacent urological organs has a high morbidity rate. However it is still possible to achieve negative resection margins in most cases.