Anastomotic leakage after colorectal cancer surgery: a risk factor for recurrence and poor prognosis

In order to discover the incidence of recurrence and prognosis of patients with anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery, 980 colorectal cancer patients who underwent anastomosis at Keio University Hospital between 1970 and 1990 were examined. Thirty-three patients (leakage group) out of the 980 exhibited anastomotic leakage. The incidence of local recurrence in the leakage group was significantly higher than in the no leakage group (P < 0.01). The disease-free survival rate of the leakage group was significantly lower than that of the no leakage group in Dukes' A, B patients (P < 0.01), but was not so in Dukes' C, D patients. These results suggested that anastomotic leakage after colorectal cancer surgery might enhance the incidence of local recurrence and make the prognosis poor.