Emergency resection surgery for colorectal cancer: Patterns of recurrent disease and survival

To evaluate prognostic pathological factors associated with early metachronous disease and adverse long-term survival in these patients.

Clinical and histological features were analysed retrospectively over an eight-year period for prognostic impact on recurrent disease and overall survival in patients undergoing curative resection of a primary colorectal cancer.

A total of 266 patients underwent curative surgery during the study period. The median age of the study cohort was 68 year (range 26 to 91) with a follow-up of 7.9 years (range 4.6 to 12.6). Resection was undertaken electively in 225 (84.6%) patients and emergency resection in 35 (13.2%). Data on timing of surgery was missing in 6 patients. Recurrence was noted in 67 (25.2%) during the study period and was predominantly early within 3 years (82.1%) and involved hepatic metastasis in 73.1%. Emergency resection (OR = 3.60, P = 0.001), T4 stage (OR = 4.33, P < 0.001) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (OR = 2.37, P = 0.032) were associated with higher risk of recurrent disease. Emergency resection, T4 disease and a high lymph node ratio (LNR) were strong independent predictors of adverse long-term survival.

Emergency surgery is associated with adverse disease free and long-term survival. T4 disease, LVI and LNR provide strong independent predictive value of long-term outcome and can inform surveillance strategies to improve outcomes.