A Patient's Race/Ethnicity Does Not Explain the Underuse of Appropriate Adjuvant Therapy in Colorectal Cancer

Introduction To improve colorectal cancer outcomes, appropriate adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, radiation therapy) should be given. Numerous studies have demonstrated underuse of adjuvant therapy in colorectal cancer. The current study examines variables associated with underuse of adjuvant therapy. Methods Three population-based databases were linked: California Cancer Registry, California Patient Discharge Database, 2000 Census. All colorectal cancer patients diagnosed from 1994 to 2001 were studied. Patient characteristics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, comorbidities, payer, diagnosis year, socioeconomic status) were used in five multivariate regression analyses to predict receipt of chemotherapy for Stage III colon cancer, and receipt of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for Stages II, III rectal cancer. Results The overall cohort was 18,649 Stage III colon cancer and Stages II, III rectal cancer patients. Mean age was 68.9 years, 50 percent male, 74 percent non-Hispanic white, 6 percent black, 11 percent Hispanic, 9 percent Asian, and 65 percent had no significant comorbid disease. Receipt of chemotherapy was 48 percent for Stage III colon cancer, 48 percent for Stage II rectal cancer, and 66 percent for Stage III rectal cancer. Receipt of radiation therapy was 52 percent for Stage II rectal cancer and 66 percent for Stage III rectal cancer. In all five models, low socioeconomic status predicted underuse of chemotherapy or radiation therapy (P < 0.016). Race/ethnicity was not statistically associated with underuse in any of the models. Conclusions Most literature identifies race/ethnicity as the reason for disparate receipt of adjuvant therapy in colorectal cancer. Using a more robust database of three population-based sources, our analysis demonstrates that socioeconomic status is a more important predictor of (in)appropriate care than race/ethnicity. Explicit measures to improve care to the poor with colorectal cancer are needed. Supported by Limited Project Grant from The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons; Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training Grant from the National Cancer Institute (#5U01CA086322-06); and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at UCLA. Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 30 to May 5, 2005; Recipient of the Piedmont Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Awards for Clinical Podium Presentation. Reprints are not available.     

The diagnostic pathway to sarcoidosis

PURPOSE: To examine the time from the first physician visit to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. HYPOTHESES: The time required to diagnose sarcoidosis is dependent on the initial symptoms, socioeconomic status, referral to a specialist, race, and severity of pulmonary involvement. METHODS: Patients were recruited from the Case Control Etiology of Sarcoidosis Study (ACCESS) and had biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis. Subjects were asked to recall the date of onset of symptoms of sarcoidosis, their first physician visit, number of physician visits, and types of physicians seen. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-nine patients were enrolled. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made on the first physician visit in only 15.3% of cases. The presence of pulmonary symptoms was associated with prolonged time (> 6 months vs < or = 6 months, p = 0.02) until diagnosis, and the presence of skin symptoms with a shorter time (< or = 6 months vs > 6 months, p = 0.02) until diagnosis. Patients with pulmonary symptoms had more physician visits (mean +/- SEM) until the diagnosis was made compared to those without pulmonary symptoms (4.84 +/- 0.38 visits vs 3.15 +/- 0.24 visits, p = 0.0002). The mean baseline FEV(1) was greater in those diagnosed < or = 6 months from the first physician visit than those diagnosed > 6 months (87.3 +/- 1.52% predicted vs 81.2 +/- 2.5% predicted, p = 0.04). There was a significant delay in diagnosis (> 6 months vs < or = 6 months) from first physician visit with higher Scadding stages (stage 4 vs stage 2, or stage 3 vs stage 0 or 1, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of sarcoidosis is often delayed and seems to be more a factor of disease presentation than patient or physician characteristics. The presence of pulmonary symptoms or higher radiographic stages is associated with a prolonged time until diagnosis. The presence of skin symptoms is associated with less delay in diagnosis. It is likely that the delay in diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis relates to the fact that pulmonary symptoms and parenchymal involvement are nonspecific and are often regarded as manifestations of other pulmonary diseases.     

DCC protein as a predictor of distant metastases after curative surgery for rectal cancer

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the value of DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) protein for predicting metachronous distant metastases after curative surgery for rectal cancer. The DCC protein—for which a gene has been located on chromosome 18q—has recently been reported to have a prognostic value in colorectal cancer. This finding might have implications for treatment of International Union Against Cancer Stage II rectal carcinoma, in which distant metastases will develop in 14 percent of patients despite optimal surgery. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded tissues from 85 patients who developed distant metastases, but no local recurrence, after curative surgery for rectal cancer were matched with 85 samples from patients who remained disease-free. Matching criteria were tumor stage, age, gender, and date of surgery. Expression of DCC protein was assessed using immunohistochemistry. End points of follow-up were recurrence of disease and death. Mean follow-up was 9.6 years. No patient received either local or systemic adjuvant therapy. RESULTS: The DCC protein was found to be expressed in 64.9 percent of tumor samples. Nonexpression of DCC protein had an negative influence on survival (P=0.03). For all tumor stages together, sensitivity of the test for subsequent occurrence of distant metastases was 42 percent and specificity was 71 percent. In Stage II cancers, the positive predictive value was 19 percent, and the negative predictive value was 88 percent. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that DCC protein is a useful prognostic marker in patients with rectal carcinomas, but the positive predictive value of DCC protein for occurrence of metachronous metastases does not appear to be sufficient to justify adjuvant therapeutic measures in Stage II rectal cancer.     

Use of preoperative ultrasound staging for treatment of rectal cancer

INTRODUCTION: Transrectal ultrasound is the standard method for preoperative staging of rectal cancer. This study reviews the accuracy of transrectal ultrasound staging for T3 disease and its use in the selection of patients for neoadjuvant chemoradiation. METHODS: One hundred seventeen patients underwent preoperative transrectal ultrasound evaluation for rectal cancer. Accuracy of transrectal ultrasound was evaluated among 70 patients not receiving preoperative chemoradiation. Forty-seven patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation based on transrectal ultrasound results. Tumor downstaging and early recurrence were evaluated among 45 of 47 patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation. RESULTS: Among 70 nonirradiated patients, 19 were pathologic Stage pT3. Transrectal ultrasound correctly identified 18 of 19 patients with Stage pT3 (sensitivity, 94.7 percent). Transrectal ultrasound correctly identified 44 of 51 patients with less than pT3 disease (specificity, 86.3 percent). After preoperative chemoradiation in 45 patients with ultrasound Stage uT3 or uT4 tumors, 56 percent of them experienced a reduction in T stage. Residual nodal disease was found in 31 percent of patients. A complete pathologic response with no residual disease at operation was observed in 22 percent of patients. During a median follow-up period of 21 months after diagnosis, seven patients experienced a recurrence of their disease at a median of 12 months after diagnosis. Five of seven patients with recurrence were among a subgroup of ten patients who both failed to downstage T and had residual nodal disease at operation. CONCLUSION: Transrectal ultrasound is an accurate modality for selecting patients for neoadjuvant treatment. Preoperative chemoradiation produced downstaging in 56 percent of patients. Factors related to early recurrence included residual nodal disease and failure to downstage T after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.Presented at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, San Antonio, Texas, May 4 to 8, 1998.     

Survival after rectal cancer: differences between hospital catchment areas. A nationwide study in Sweden

BACKGROUND: The quality of rectal cancer surgery at small units has been debated. No national studies of this issue have been undertaken and most studies have been based on insufficient data to clarify the controversy. It has been claimed that observed differences in outcomes between specialised centres and smaller hospitals are confounded by differences in stage/severity. AIM: To compare survival after rectal cancer between hospital catchment areas. PATIENTS: All patients with rectal cancer notified to the Swedish Cancer Register in 1973-1992 (n = 30 811) were followed up by record linkage to the nationwide Death Register. METHODS: Relative survival-that is, ratio of observed to expected survival-was computed as a measure of excess mortality attributable to rectal cancer. Multivariate analysis was then performed to estimate the independent effects of hospital catchment area categories and age, year of diagnosis, and duration of follow up. RESULTS: One year relative survival among rectal cancer patients residing in catchment areas of large regional hospitals was 76%, compared with 72% for small local hospitals (p<0.001). A difference was already noted after 30 days and remained five years after diagnosis. Relative survival improved considerably overall, but the differences between catchment area categories persisted. These were not reduced by adjustment for age, time after diagnosis, or time period in multivariate models. CONCLUSION: The differences in outcome between catchment area categories could not be explained by differences in age, time period, or duration of follow up after diagnosis. They are unlikely to be explained by differences between catchment area populations with regard to the average stage of the disease at which symptoms lead to diagnosis. The differences may therefore be attributable to different strategies for diagnosing and managing patients with rectal cancer.     

Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to measure delays of diagnosis and to assess the causes for those delays in patients with lung cancer. In addition, the relation of delay times and survival was analyzed. DESIGN: A retrospective study based on patient records. Dates for symptoms, visits to doctors, investigations, treatment, and death were recorded. SETTING: Patients who were found to have lung cancer at Turku University Hospital, Finland, during 2001. PATIENTS: Records of 132 patients were reexamined. RESULTS: The median delay in patient presentation from first symptoms to first appointment with a general practitioner (GP) was 14 days. The median delay by the GP before writing a referral was 16 days, the median referral delay was 8 days, the median delay from the first visit to a specialist until the diagnosis was 15 days, and the median treatment delay was also 15 days. Thirty percent of patients received treatment within 1 month from the first hospital visit, and 61% received treatment within 2 months. The median symptom-to-treatment delay was almost 4 months. The delay in seeing a specialist was shorter in patients with advanced cancer and small cell lung cancer. About half of our patients fulfilled the criteria of the British Thoracic Society recommendations. A longer specialist treatment delay seemed to correlate with better survival in advanced disease, but it was not an independent significant factor for survival. CONCLUSIONS: Several reasons for long delays were found, but on many occasions patients underwent numerous consecutive procedures before a diagnosis of cancer was confirmed. Shortening the diagnostic and treatment delay times might be possible with little extra cost by a multidisciplinary team approach and by rapid access to carefully planned investigations, but decreasing the patient delay might be more difficult. This study shows that long specialist treatment delays are not correlated with worse prognosis in patients with advanced disease. In patients with more limited disease, the delay time may be more critical, and if curative treatment is the goal, the diagnostic process should proceed without needless delay to avoid a situation in which curable disease becomes incurable.     

Risk Factors for Diagnostic Delay in Achalasia

This study investigates whether the frequentlydelayed diagnosis of achalasia is attributable toatypical symptoms, misleading diagnostic features, orthe number of physicians consulted. Eighty-sevenconsecutive patients with newly diagnosed achalasia wereprospectively investigated with the use of structuredinterviews as well as manometric, endoscopic, andradiographic studies. The mean duration of symptoms was 4.7 ± 6.4 years. Quality and intensityof symptoms had no effect on early diagnosis. Amongdifferent radiographic and manometric features, only thewidth of the gastric cardia showed a significantcorrelation with a delay in diagnosis (P < 0.01).However, the most significant association was foundbetween the duration of symptoms prior to consideringthe diagnosis of achalasia and the number ofunsuccessful physician consultations (P = 0.001). We conclude that thefrequent delay in the diagnosis of achalasia is not dueto an atypical clinical presentation of this disease butrather to misinterpretation of typical findings by the physician consulted.     

Overview of colorectal cancer in Japan

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In Japan, the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased remarkably since World War II, and interest in this cancer has grown rapidly among Japanese clinicians and pathologists. As a result, the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum started a multi-institutional registry of colorectal cancer in 1980. The purpose of this report is to present an overview of the actual state of surgical and pathologic aspects of colorectal cancer treated in the leading hospitals in Japan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Registry files of clinical and pathologic findings for 38,369 patients treated between 1974 and 1986 with five-year follow-up information and 26,360 patients treated between 1991 and 1994 with no follow-up information were reviewed. RESULTS: Numbers of registered patients have increased annually, reflecting a trend toward an increasing incidence of this cancer in Japan. Colon cancer increased more than rectal cancer in both genders. Resection of the primary lesion was achieved in more than 97 percent of patients who underwent surgical operation recently. The curative resection rate has improved from 65.1 to 79.1 percent for colon cancer and from 71.4 to 80.4 percent for rectal cancer between the 1974 and 1979 and the 1991 and 1994 periods, and operative mortality of those has decreased from 1.8 and 2 percent to 0.5 and 0.5 percent, respectively. There was a trend toward a decrease in locally advanced cancer in terms of cancer invasion into the bowel wall. Stage IV colon cancer also decreased from 22.9 to 16.6 percent with time. The five-year survival rate of each pTNM stage has gradually been improving and was especially evident for patients with Stages I, II, and III of rectal cancer. Overall five-year survival rates for colorectal cancer patients currently exceeds 60 percent. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of colorectal cancer and the ratio of colon cancer to rectal cancer patients in Japan are increasing. Results of surgical treatment are satisfactory with respect to curative resection rate, operative mortality, and the five-year survival rate. Registry data of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum are useful for reporting the actual state of diagnosis, treatment, and end results of colorectal cancer in Japan.     

Salvage radical surgery after failed local excision for early rectal cancer

OBJECTIVES: Local recurrence after transanal excision of rectal cancer is often amenable to salvage radical proctectomy, but the long-term results remain unknown. This study was designed to determine the outcome of salvage radical surgery after failed local excision in patients with early rectal cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 29 patients who underwent salvage radical surgery for local recurrence after a full-thickness transanal excision for Stage I rectal cancer. End points included local and distant recurrences and disease-free survival after salvage radical surgery. Comparisons between groups were performed by chi-squared test. RESULTS: Recurrence involved the rectal wall in 26 patients (90 percent) and was purely extrarectal in only 3 (10 percent). Mean time between local excision and radical operation was 26 months. The resection was considered curative in 23 patients (79 percent). The stage of the recurrent tumor was more advanced than the primary tumor in 27 patients (93 percent). At a mean follow-up of 39 (range, 2-147) months after radical surgery, 17 patients (59 percent) remained free of disease. The disease-free survival rate was 68 percent for patients with tumors with favorable histology vs. 29 percent for patients with tumors with unfavorable histology. CONCLUSION: Salvage surgery for recurrence after local excision of rectal cancers may not provide results equivalent to those of initial radical treatment. In the present study the poor results of salvage surgery emphasize the importance of appropriate selection of the initial treatment of Stage I rectal cancer.     

Rectal bleeding

Patient delay in presentation of rectal bleeding has been identified as a factor in delayed diagnosis among patients with colo-rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to identify demographic or psychological factors, or beliefs or behaviors related to delay in presentation of rectal bleeding. In 93 patients presenting with this symptom to their general practitioner, delay ranged from 0 to 249 days with a median of 7 days; 27 (29 percent) delayed more than 14 days. Delay was unrelated to age, sex, ethnic origin, competence in English, length of schooling, social status, availability of social support, measured psychologic traits, and to the belief that the cause might be cancer. The proportions delaying more than 14 days were statistically significantly elevated among those who were not worried by the bleeding (47 percent delayed); those who did not regularly look at their feces or the toilet paper after use (37 percent); and those who took some other action before presenting to their general practitioner (43 percent).Work was conducted at Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.Study was supported by a grant from the New South Wales State Cancer Council.     

The Role of the Physician in the Late Diagnosis of Primary Malignant Tumors of the Small Intestine

Survival from primary malignancies of the small intestine has not improved during the last four decades. One reason for this is the advanced stage of disease at the time of surgery. In order to determine why diagnosis is made late, we reviewed the records of all patients with small bowel malignancy diagnosed between 1967 and 1988. The time from the onset of symptoms to the first medical contact and the time from medical contact until diagnosis were evaluated in 77 patients. The average delay in diagnosis attributable 1) to the patient failing to report symptoms was less than 2 months, 2) to the physician not ordering the appropriate diagnostic test was 8.2 months, and 3) to the radiologist failing to make the diagnosis was 12 months. Thus, the major delay in diagnosis was after medical help was sought and not from the onset of symptoms to first medical consultation. Physicians must increase their sensitivity to the subtle but persistent symptoms that necessitate a small bowel evaluation.     

Preoperative staging of irradiated rectal cancers using digital rectal examination, computed tomography, endorectal ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging does not accurately predict T0,N0 pathology

PURPOSE: The postradiation preoperative staging results of 25 patients with rectal cancer who were found to have Stage T0,N0 lesions after surgery were examined. Our aim was to assess the ability of preoperative staging following radiation therapy to predict the absence of disease. METHODS: From 1983 to 1994, 25 patients treated with preoperative radiation therapy for biopsy-proven rectal cancer were found to have no pathologic evidence of disease in the resected specimen (T0,N0). The preoperative postradiation disease staging results of these patients were compared with the postoperative pathologic findings. Each patient received 4,500 to 5,580 cGy during a five-week to six-week period, and four patients had preoperative chemotherapy. Surgical resection was performed six to eight weeks after completion of radiation therapy. All 25 patients were staged by digital rectal examination before surgery. In addition, 13 patients were assessed using computed tomography, 6 by endorectal ultrasound, and 1 by magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Most irradiated lesions were overstaged by radiologic assessment and physical examination. No technique could reliably distinguish between postradiation fibrosis and residual cancer. The negative predictive value for digital rectal examination was 24 percent. Computed tomography accurately staged 23 percent of lesions, and endorectal ultrasound predicted 17 percent of lesions correctly. The single patient evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging was overstaged and thought to have a T2 lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Our ability to assess local eradication of rectal cancer following radiation therapy remains poor. Conventional imaging and clinical examination techniques are unable to safely predict which patients do not require surgical excision following curative radiation therapy for rectal cancer.     

Impediments to timely diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in African Americans

The purpose of this study was to identify early patterns of care for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a cohort of African-American patients and their caregivers presenting at an inner city clinic and a suburban memory assessment clinic. Caregivers (N=79) of patients diagnosed with probable AD were interviewed. Data were collected about the delay from noticing first AD signs until recognition that a problem existed and delay from problem recognition until first physician consultation. Patients and caregivers had lower educational status, and patients had been diagnosed more recently at the inner city clinic than at the suburban clinic, although MMSE scores of patients at the two clinics did not differ; median delays in caregivers' recognizing a problem and in consulting a physician were also similar across clinics. Delay was as long as 7 years between noticing symptoms and problem recognition and between problem recognition and physician consultation. Although patients attending the suburban clinic were more likely to have previously seen a physician than those attending the inner city clinic, they were no more likely to have received a prior diagnosis of AD. Lack of physician contact is likely to be widespread in families caring for African Americans with AD. Physician consultation is more characteristic of more highly educated families but may not yield a correct diagnosis for the patient. Intensive efforts are needed to connect African-American families with physicians and to achieve more timely diagnosis of AD to enable families to understand the illness, plan for patient safety, and make long-term plans.     

What Proportion of Patients Referred to Secondary Care with Iron Deficiency Anemia Have Colon Cancer?

Purpose Iron deficiency anemia can be the first presentation of right-sided colon cancer. There is an impression that because this presentation is nonspecific it may be associated with a longer delay from referral to diagnosis compared with those patients with symptoms of change in bowel habit and/or rectal bleeding caused by more distal colorectal cancer. This study was designed to determine the incidence of colon cancers in patients referred to the hospital with iron deficiency anemia and to determine what proportion of these patients were referred and diagnosed urgently in line with cancer waiting time targets. Methods A retrospective study was performed, including all patients referred to one district general hospital in 2003 whose blood indices met the criteria for significant iron deficiency anemia as defined by the Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer issued by the Department of Health in 1999, which defined iron deficiency anemia in the “target wait” criterion as a low hemoglobin (<11 g/dl in males and < 10 g/dl in postmenopausal females) with a mean corpuscular volume < 78 fl and/or a serum ferritin < 12 ng/ml. Patients with hemoglobinopathy were excluded. The underlying diagnosis reached for each patient was determined by using ICD10 C18–21. Case note review confirmed the diagnoses and yielded information on urgency of referral and time to diagnosis. Results Of 513 patients referred with iron deficiency anemia in 2003, 142 (28 percent) met the eligibility criteria. Nine (6.3 percent) of these had colon cancer, including one (1.2 percent) female and eight (14 percent) males. Eight of nine cancers were in the right colon. Other patients with iron deficiency anemia were found to have benign upper or lower gastrointestinal disease (n = 125) or upper gastrointestinal cancer (n = 1). In seven patients, no cause was found. Of the nine patients with iron deficiency anemia who were found to have colon cancer, five had been referred urgently and four as routine. The mean delay from referral to diagnosis for these was 31 days for those referred urgently but 60 days for those referred routinely. Conclusions Males referred with iron deficiency anemia have a significant risk of having colon cancer. The risk seems lower in females; this gender difference has been observed in other studies and further evidence should be sought before advising any change in referral practice.     

Colorectal cancer in patients under 50 years of age: A retrospective analysis of two institutions’ experience

AIM:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer(CRC)in patients under 50 years of age across two institutions.METHODS:Records of patients under age 50 years of age who had CRC surgery over a 16 year period were assessed at two institutions.The following documents where reviewed:admission notes,operative notes,and discharge summaries.The main study variables included:age,presenting symptoms,family history,tumor location,operation,stage/differentiation of disease,and post operative complications.Stage of disease was classified according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system:tumor depth;node status;and metastases.RESULTS:CRC was found in 180 patients under age50 years(87 females,93 males;mean age 41.4±6.2years).Young patients accounted for 11.2%of cases during a 6 year period for which the full data set wasavailable.Eight percent had a 1stdegree and 12%a 2nd degree family CRC history.Almost all patients(94%)were symptomatic at diagnosis;common symptoms included:bleeding(59%),obstruction(9%),and abdominal/rectal pain(35%).Evaluation was often delayed and bleeding frequently attributed to hemorrhoids.Advanced stage CRC(Stage 3 or 4)was noted in 53%of patients.Most tumors were distal to the splenic flexure(77%)and 39%involved the rectum.Most patients(95%)had segmental resections;6 patients had subtotal/total colectomy.Poorly differentiated tumors were noted in 12%and mucinous lesions in 19%of patients of which most had Stage 3 or 4 disease.Twenty-two patients(13%)developed recurrence and/or progression of disease to date.Three patients(ages 42,42and 49 years)went on to develop metachronous primary colon cancers within 3 to 4 years of their initial resection.CONCLUSION:CRC was common in young patients with no family history.Young patients with symptoms merit a timely evaluation to avoid presentation with late stage CRC.     

Cancer Invasion to Auerbach’s Plexus is an Important Prognostic Factor in Patients with pT3-pT4 Colorectal Cancer

Purpose By defining perineural invasion of colorectal cancer as invasion to Auerbach’s plexus, we examined the usefulness of this pathologic finding as a prognostic factor. Methods A total of 509 consecutive patients who underwent curative surgery for pT3 or pT4 colorectal cancer between May 1997 and December 2001 were reviewed. All the surviving patients were followed for more than five years. All the pathologic findings, including perineural invasion, were described prospectively in the pathology report forms. Results Perineural invasion was detected in 132 of 509 patients (26 percent) and was significantly associated with lymph node status, lymphatic invasion, and venous invasion. Incidences of local and systemic recurrence were significantly higher in patients with perineural invasion than in those without perineural invasion. The disease-free survival of the perineural invasion-positive group was significantly poorer than that of the perineural invasion-negative group for Stages II and III colon cancer, irrespective of the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. This improved disease-free survival also was seen in patients with Stage II rectal cancer not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. There was a nonsignificant difference in disease-free survival for Stage II rectal cancer and Stage III rectal cancer treated with chemotherapy, that of the perineural invasion-positive group being poorer. Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node status, perineural invasion, depth of invasion, and cancer site were significant prognostic factors. Conclusions Perineural invasion defined as cancer invasion to Auerbach’s plexus is an important prognostic factor for colorectal cancer. Supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.     

Disease-specific mortality among stage I–III colorectal cancer patients with diabetes: a large population-based analysis

Aims/hypothesis

The aim of our study was to investigate overall and disease-specific mortality of colorectal cancer patients with diabetes.

Methods

In this population-based study, we included all colorectal cancer patients, newly diagnosed with stage I–III cancer, between 1997 and 2007 in the registration area of the Eindhoven Cancer Registry. Stage of cancer, cancer treatment and comorbidities were actively collected by reviewing hospital medical records. Data on patients with and without diabetes were linked to Statistics Netherlands to assess vitality, date of death and underlying cause of death. Follow-up of all patients was completed until 1 January 2009.

Results

We included 6,974 patients with colon cancer and 3,888 patients with rectal cancer, of whom 820 (12%) and 404 (10%), respectively, had diabetes at the time of cancer diagnosis. During follow-up, death occurred in 611 (50%) of 1,224 cancer patients with diabetes and 3,817 (40%) of 9,638 cancer patients without diabetes. Multivariate Cox regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, stage, lymph nodes examined, adjuvant therapy and year of diagnosis, showed that overall mortality was significantly higher for colon (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01, 1.25) and rectal (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.03, 1.41) cancer patients with diabetes than for those without. Disease-specific mortality was only significantly increased for rectal cancer patients (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06, 1.60).

Conclusions/interpretation

Diabetes at the time of rectal cancer diagnosis was independently associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer mortality compared with no diabetes, suggesting a specific interaction between diabetes and rectal cancer. Future in-depth studies including detailed diabetes- and cancer-related variables should elucidate pathways.     

Robotic Colorectal Surgery: First 50 Cases Experience

Purpose  Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is believed to be technically and oncologically feasible. However, some limitation of traditional laparoscopic surgery may cause difficulties. Robotic-assisted surgery may overcome these pitfalls. Methods  From December 2005 to July 2007, 50 patients were selected for robotic-assisted colorectal resection mainly for cancer. Results  Of the 50 patients enrolled, 32 (64 percent) were men and 18 (36 percent) were women. Their mean age was 66.7 (range, 37–92) years. The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ (ASA) class distribution was 13 (26 percent) ASA I, 24 (48 percent) ASA II, 12 (24 percent) ASA III, and 1 (2 percent) ASA IV. Forty-four patients suffered from cancer and six patients from benign disease. Amongst the cancer patients, 3 percent were at UICC (International Union Against Cancer) Stage 0, 36 percent at UICC Stage I, 24 percent at Stage II, 28 percent at Stage III, and 9 percent at Stage IV. The global conversion rate was 4 percent. The mean operative time was 338.8 minutes. It decreased as the experience increased (419 minutes in the first 20 cases vs. 346 minutes in the last 30 cases; P = 0.036). As a gross comparison, the results of a coeval standard laparoscopy group of patients were shown. Conclusions  Robotic laparoscopic colon surgery is feasible and safe. A longer operating time is needed.     

Indication and Benefit of Pelvic Sidewall Dissection for Rectal Cancer

Purpose This study was designed to clarify indication and benefit of pelvic sidewall dissection for rectal cancer. Methods The retrospective, multicenter study collected the data of rectal cancer patients who underwent surgery between 1991 and 1998 and were prospectively followed. Results Of 1,977 patients with rectal cancers, 930 underwent pelvic sidewall dissection without adjuvant radiotherapy. Positive lateral lymph nodes were found in 129. Multivariate analysis disclosed a significantly increased incidence of positive lateral lymph nodes in female gender, lower rectal cancers, non-well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, tumor size of ≥4 cm and T3-T4. The five-year survival rate for 1,977 patients was 79.7 percent. The survival of patients with positive lateral lymph nodes was significantly worse than that of Stage III patients with negative lateral lymph nodes (45.8 vs. 71.2 percent, P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed significantly worse prognosis in male gender, pelvic sidewall dissection, lower rectal cancers, T3-T4, perirectal lymph node metastasis, and positive lateral lymph nodes. During the median follow-up time of 57 months, recurrence developed in 19.7 percent: 17 percent in negative and 58.1 percent in positive lateral lymph nodes (P<0.0001). Local recurrence was found in 8 percent: 6.8 percent in negative and 25.6 percent in positive lateral lymph nodes (P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis disclosed that lower rectal cancers, non-well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, T3-T4, perirectal lymph node metastasis, and positive lateral lymph nodes were significantly associated with an increased local recurrence. Conclusions Positive lateral lymph node was the strongest predictor in both survival and local recurrence. Pelvic sidewall dissection may be indicated for patients with T3-T4 lower rectal cancers because of the greater provability of positive lateral lymph nodes. Study Group for Rectal Cancer Surgery of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum. Presented at the United States-Japan Clinical Trial Summit Meeting, Maui, Hawaii, February 10–13, 2005.     

The diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis in the aged

Since the turn of the century, the elderly population, particularly those over the age of 80, has been increasing steadily. Consequently, the surgeon will be confronted frequently with the diagnostic challenge of acute appendicitis in this population. Over the past ten years, 13 patients over the age of 80 were treated for acute appendicitis at the St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center. The mean duration of symptoms was 2.4 days; all patients complained of abdominal pain, with 72 percent of patients having right lower quadrant involvement. Ninety-two percent had perforated prior to surgery, and 23 percent did not survive the disease. This high mortality rate is attributed to both a delay in presentation to the physician and a further delay in proper treatment due to misdiagnosis. This is a disease with which every physician must be familiar and be continually vigilant, as correct diagnosis and prompt treatment are the keys to averting high morbidity and mortality rates.