Prognosis in patients with obstructing colorectal carcinoma

Over a 30 year interval (1950 to 1979), 1,061 patients with colorectal carcinoma were seen; 148 presented with bowel obstruction and in this retrospective study were compared with those having nonobstructive tumors. The age and sex distribution did not differ between the groups. The curability rate was 53 percent, versus 72 percent for nonobstructed patients; the 5 year survival rate was 16 percent overall and 31 percent in curable cases, versus 37 and 50 percent for elective patients, respectively. Survival within tumor stages did not differ between the groups; the difference in outcome was mainly a result of obstructed patients having fewer stage A and more stage C lesions. Most right-sided growths were primarily resected, while the left-sided growths were mainly treated with staged resection. Operative mortality for curable patients was 8 percent, not different from the 7 percent rate in elective patients. The 5 year survival rate was 19 percent after primary and 35 percent after staged resection. It was concluded that patients with bowel obstruction secondary to colorectal carcinoma have low curability and survival rates, primarily because of advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and treatment.