Synchronous colorectal cancer in an Oriental population

Thirty-four (4.1%) out of 820 patients operated for colorectal cancer between April 1989 and October 1992 were found to have synchronous cancers. Twenty (59%) were male and 14 (41%) were female. The mean age was 69.3 years (range = 25 to 89 yr). Synchronous tumours were located in the same or adjacent segments of the large intestine in 24 (71%) of the patients. A curative resection was performed in 27 (79%) patients, a palliative resection in 8 (18%) and one (3%) patient had a palliative colostomy only. Dukes' staging based on the worse of the 2 cancers showed 1 (3%) Dukes' A, 11 (32%) Dukes' B, 14 (38%) Dukes' C and 9 (27%) with disseminated disease. Age, sex and Dukes' staging did not differ significantly from those of patients with solitary cancers and prognosis was also not adversely affected.