title: Risk factors in patients presenting as an emergency with colorectal cancer.
abstract: Of 905 patients with colorectal cancer admitted to a single district general hospital, 272 (30 per cent) were admitted as emergencies. Emergency patients had more advanced tumours (Dukes stage B and C 96 per cent versus 88 per cent of those admitted electively, P < 0.006), a shorter history (median 3 versus 11 weeks, P < 0.0001), were less likely to be fully ambulatory (44 versus 80 per cent, P < 0.0001) and more likely to have abdominal pain (74 versus 51 per cent, P < 0.001) and vomiting (40 versus 10 per cent, P < 0.0001). More emergency patients were given stomas (56 versus 35 per cent, P < 0.0001) and died in hospital (19 versus 8 per cent, P < 0.0001). Of those who survived to be discharged, patients admitted as an emergency spent longer in hospital (median stay 16 versus 13 days, P < 0.0001) and had a poorer overall 5-year survival rate (29 versus 39 per cent, P = 0.0001). Emergency patients were significantly older (median 74 versus 72 years, P = 0.04) and much more likely to be widowed (41 versus 27 per cent, P = 0.0002) than those admitted for elective surgery. If the personal and resource disaster of emergency colorectal cancer admission is to be reduced, screening strategies targeted by demographic characteristics require investigation.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgery, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeacock
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kingston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D004630:Emergencies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors