Lymphadenectomy in elective and urgency surgery for resective colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the factors affecting the number of lymph nodes examined in colorectal cancer specimens after elective or urgent surgery on the current clinical practice in our surgical unit.


METHODS
The authors considered 120 patients who had undergone surgery for colorectal carcinoma from July 2005 to December 2007 divided into two groups, 102 elective oncologic resections (group A) and 18 performed in emergency (group B). All patients underwent laparotomic colorectal resection. The groups were similar in age, weight and body mass index, different in gender e in cancer stage. The authors analyze prognostic differences in number of examined lymph nodes and factors involved in differences between groups.


RESULTS
There were no statistically significative differences in number of nodes harvested in specimen (15.85+/-8.17, CI 95% 14.25-17.46 for group A and 13.83+/-6.56, CI 95% 10.57-17.09 for group B, P-value 0.36). Operating time was shorter in group B (P-value 0.012). We not observed differences between groups in survival rate (P-value 0.62).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study suggest that a correct lymphadenectomy and an adequate lymph node harvest in colorectal cancer surgery is essential also in resections performed in urgency, to allow a correct staging and an accurate selection of patients for adjuvant chemotherapy, with improvement of results at follow-up.
Operative Unit of Oncological and Implantable System Surgery, S. Martino University Hospital, Genoa, Italy. stefanoscabini@libero.it
S
S
Scabini
E
E
Rimini
E
E
Romairone
R
R
Scordamaglia
D
D
Pertile
V
V
Ferrando
D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome