Synchronous and metachronous colorectal carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Synchronous and metachronous colorectal carcinoma have an incidence of 2-10%. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics, the accuracy of diagnostic examinations and the survival of these patients.


METHODS
From 1970 to 1999, 1160 patients with colorectal cancer were admitted to our Department. During follow-up examination 50 patients (4.3%) were found to present with multiple primary colon cancers. Fifty-two per cent were synchronous and 48% metachronous tumours.


RESULTS
The overall 5-year survival of the patients was 45.87%. Mortality was 10% for multiple primaries, while in patients with single cancer was 4.1%. The overall 5-year survival of the patients with multiple primaries tumours was 46.67%.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with colorectal cancer must be fully studied endoscopically. There has been an improvement in survival in recent years due to better surgical techniques, the introduction of more sophisticated examination methods and the meticulous follow-up of patients at risk.
Papadopoulos
V
V
1st Propedeutic Surgical Clinic, Aristotle's University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. bnpap@med.auth.gr
Michalopoulos
A
A
Basdanis
G
G
Papapolychroniadis
K
K
Paramythiotis
D
D
Fotiadis
P
P
Berovalis
P
P
Harlaftis
N
N
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis