title: Predictive poor prognostic factors in colonic carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Five-year survival in rectal cancer has been steadily improving since the introduction of neoadjuvant chemoradiation and total mesorectal excision surgery. In contrast, 5-year survival rates and management of colonic carcinoma remain relatively unchanged. This study aims to identify poor prognostic factors in colonic cancer patients that could potentially be predicted pre-operatively to identify a subset of patients amenable to neoadjuvant treatment strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Database compilation of all operable rectal and colonic cancer patients presenting to a single district general hospital over 5 years. Data were documented on presentation and site of tumour, TNM staging, differentiation and extramural venous invasion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in 4-year survival between rectal (57.5%) and right (57%) or left sided (52.5%) colonic cancers (p=0.4689). On multivariate analysis, N2-stage, T4-stage and emergency presentation were identified as independent prognostic factors. On univariate analysis, in addition to the above factors, presence of venous invasion (p=0.001) and poor differentiation (p=0.0003) of tumour also predicted for poor 5-year survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T4-stage and N2-stage and extramural venous invasion are poor prognostic factors that could be identified pre-operatively with suitably accurate imaging. Such patients could then be considered for a pre-operative treatment strategy.
authors.affiliation: c/o Mr Swift's Secretary, Mayday University Hospital, London Road, Croydon CR7 7YE, UK. sburton@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abulafi
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Swift
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk; D016896:Treatment Outcome