Resection of Obstructive Left-Sided Colon Cancer at a National Level: A Prospective Analysis of Short-Term Outcomes in 1,816 Patients

Abstract

Background/aims: The prematurely closed Stent-In II trial in patients with left-sided obstructive colon cancer may have influenced clinical decision making in The Netherlands. The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment of left-sided malignant colon obstruction at a population level since then.

Methods: Short-term outcomes of all patients who underwent resection for left-sided obstructive colon cancer between 2009 and 2012 were assessed based on a prospective national registry.

Results: In total, 1,816 evaluable patients were included; acute resection was performed in 1,485 (81.8%), and endoscopic stent or decompressing stoma followed by resection in 196 (10.8%) and 135 (7.4%), respectively. The use of endoscopic stenting significantly decreased from 18% (2009) to 6% (2012). Overall 30-day or in-hospital mortality rate was 6.9, 5.6, and 3.7%, respectively (p = 0.107). Mortality rate after acute resection was 2.9% in patients <70 [corrected] years, but mortality rates up to 32.2% were observed in high-risk elderly patients.

Conclusion: Acute resection as first choice treatment seems justified for patients <70 [corrected] years of age given a mortality rate of 3%. For the elderly frail patients, mortality rates over 30% after acute resection stress the need for alternative treatment strategies.