title: Sex differences in hospital readmission among colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While several studies have analysed sex and socioeconomic differences in cancer incidence and mortality, sex differences in oncological health care have been seldom considered.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate sex based inequalities in hospital readmission among patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital Universitary in L'Hospitalet (Barcelona, Spain).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and three patients diagnosed with colorectal between January 1996 and December 1998 were actively followed up until 2002. Main outcome measurements and
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital readmission times related to colorectal cancer after surgical procedure. Cox proportional model with random effect (frailty) was used to estimate hazard rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals of readmission time for covariates analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Crude hazard rate ratio of hospital readmission in men was 1.61 (95% CI 1.21 to 2.15). When other significant determinants of readmission were controlled for (including Dukes's stage, mortality, and Charlson's index) a significant risk of readmission was still present for men (hazard rate ratio: 1.52, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.96).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the case of colorectal cancer, women are less likely than men to be readmitted to the hospital, even after controlling for tumour characteristics, mortality, and comorbidity. New studies should investigate the role of other non-clinical variable such as differences in help seeking behaviours or structural or personal sex bias in the attention given to patients.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Unit, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Ramon
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Esteve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Josepa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ribes
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peris
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cambray
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Borràs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain