Risk factors for anastomotic fistula development after radical colon cancer surgery and their impact on prognosis

Colon cancer is a common malignant tumor in the gastrointestinal tract that is typically treated surgically. However, postradical surgery is prone to complications such as anastomotic fistulas.

To investigate the risk factors for postoperative anastomotic fistulas and their impact on the prognosis of patients with colon cancer.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 488 patients with colon cancer who underwent radical surgery. This study was performed between April 2016 and April 2019 at a tertiary hospital in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. A t-test was used to compare laboratory indicators between patients with and those without postoperative anastomotic fistulas. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for postoperative anastomotic fistulas. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal Cancer was also used to assess postoperative recovery.

Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.043, P = 0.015], tumor, node, metastasis stage (OR = 2.337, P = 0.041), and surgical procedure were independent risk factors for postoperative anastomotic fistulas. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the development of postoperative anastomotic fistula (P = 0.000), advanced age (P = 0.003), and the presence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.015), among other factors, independently affected prognosis.

Postoperative anastomotic fistulas significantly affect prognosis and survival rates. Therefore, focusing on the clinical characteristics and risk factors and immediately implementing individualized preventive measures are important to minimize their occurrence.