[Cholecystectomy and colorectal adenocarcinoma]

The relative risk of developing colorectal cancer after cholecystectomy was investigated retrospectively in 124 patients with colorectal cancer, 17 patients of which had undergone previous cholecystectomy. Another 124 patients without colorectal cancer were matched for sex and age; 19 patients of which had undergone previous cholecystectomy. Disregarding sex and cancer location the relative risk was 0.87 with a 90% confidential interval from 0.43 to 1.73. On the other hand considering cancer location the relative risk of suffering right-sided hemicolon cancer was 7 with a 90% confidential interval from 1.12 to 155.46 (P less than 0.05). The hypothesis that cholecystectomy increases the risk of suffering right-sided hemicolon adenocarcinoma however requires further evaluation.