The effect of perioperative blood transfusions on long-term survival of colon cancer patients

Abstract

Blood transfusions have repeatedly been shown to decrease the rejection rate of transplanted organs by inducing an as yet undetermined form of immunosuppression. To evaluate whether these transfusions also decrease resistance to tumor metastases, records of patients who underwent colon cancer surgery were reviewed. A comparison was made between those who received perioperative transfusions and those who did not receive blood with regard to long-term survival. Patients receiving transfusions were found to have a significantly lower long-term survival rate than those who did not receive perioperative transfusions. This finding was most pronounced in those patients who had grossly localized disease at the time of surgery. The use of transfusions at the time of colon cancer surgery may therefore be detrimental to the patient's long-term prognosis.