Colon Cancer Surgery: A Retrospective Study Based on a Large Administrative Database

Laparoscopic colectomy (LC) for colon cancer is considered as safe and effective as open colectomy. It has many benefits in terms of postoperative pain, length of hospital stay, and esthetic results. There is evidence in the United States of a positive trend in the proportion of oncologic patients undergoing LC. Our aim is to confirm this trend in Europe and identify factors associated with a greater use of LC.

A retrospective cohort study based on hospital discharge records (HDR) collected from 2008 to 2013 in a north-eastern Italian region (Veneto). The sample included all HDR with colon cancer as their principal or secondary diagnosis, treated with partial or total colectomy. To establish the overall regional trend of LC, we standardized cases by age, referring to the number of procedures performed by age group in 2010. We calculated the annual percent change from the slope of the regression model over a given time interval.

Out of 14,085 colectomies, 29% were completed laparoscopically. The age-adjusted rates of LC by year ranged from 23.8% (2008) to 36.0% (2013). The mean annual increase in the LC rate was 2.4% overall (P<0.001). Factors associated with a higher proportion of LC were younger age (39% LC in patients below 65 y vs. 25% in those above 65 y), public hospitals (odds ratio: 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-1.94; P<0.05) and elective admissions (odds ratio: 4.19; 95% confidence interval, 3.76-4.67; P<0.05).

Although the proportion of LC is growing, there are factors that influence the likelihood of this procedure being conducted. Future efforts to extend the use of LC to all eligible patients and avoid disparities should target both surgeons and patients, promoting the development and dissemination of appropriate guidelines.