Bladder involvement in patients with colorectal carcinoma

Twenty-seven patients underwent concomitant partial cystectomies out of a total of 542 patients with colorectal carcinoma operated on between October 1989 to December 1991. There were 19 males and 8 females with a median age of 63.7 years (range 44-80). The patients were followed up for a median of 40.2 months (range 27-75 months). Histological invasion into the bladder was found in only 26% of the tumours. Eighty-five percent of the patients with carcinomatous invasion had preoperative urological symptoms whilst only 20% of those with inflammatory adhesions had urological symptoms. Four percent of the patient were Dukes' A, 50% Dukes' B, 42% Dukes' C and 4% Dukes' D. Twenty (74%) patients are alive without evidence of local or distant metastasis. One has local recurrence and another, distant metastasis. Five patients have died. The prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer and bladder involvement appears to be similar to those without bladder involvement provided clear margins are obtained.