[The Spanish Association of Surgeon's audited teaching programme for rectal cancer. Results after six years]

Abstract

Background: The Spanish Rectal Cancer Project of the Spanish Association of Surgeons was established in 2006. The main objective of this observational study was to assess the results obtained by the hospitals trained in the period 2006-2011, in order to evaluate whether this initiative has allowed acheivement of the observed quality standards in the Norwegian Rectal Cancer Project.

Methods: Between March 2006 and June 2012 a cohort of 10,006 patients treated during 2006-2011 in 79 hospitals were included in the project registry. In 8.706 (94.5%) patients a rectal resection was performed. In 1.156 patients diagnosed with metastases or an R2-resection, the resection was considered palliative. The number of rectal resections with curative intent analyzed was 7.396 (80.3%). The outcome measures of the program effectiveness were local recurrence, metastases and survival.

Results: After a median follow-up period of 19.0 months (interquartile range [8.00-33.0]), local recurrence rate was 7.7 (9.1-6.2); metastases, 23.4 (25.6-21.1), and mortality 25.9 (28.1-23.7).

Conclusion: This study shows that the oncological results achieved by the Spanish hospitals participating in the Rectal Cancer Project of the Spanish Association of Surgeons are similar to those observed in the Norwegian Colon and Rectal Cancer Project.

Keywords: Cáncer de recto; Local recurrence; Mortalidad; Mortality; Programa docente; Recidiva local; Rectal cancer; Rectal cancer registry; Registro de cáncer de recto; Teaching programme.