Colorectal cancer prognosis twenty years later.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate changes in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival over the last 20 years.


METHODS
We compared two groups of consecutive CRC patients that were prospectively recruited: Group I included 1990 patients diagnosed between 1980 and 1994. Group II included 871 patients diagnosed in 2001.


RESULTS
The average follow up time was 21 mo (1-229) for Group I and 50 mo (1-73.4) for Group II. Overall median survival was significantly longer in Group II than in Group I (73 mo vs 25 mo, P < 0.001) and the difference was significant for all tumor stages. Post surgical mortality was 8% for Group Iand 2% for Group II (P < 0.001). Only 17% of GroupI patients received chemotherapy compared with 50% of Group II patients (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Survival in colorectal cancer patients has doubled over the past 20 years. This increase seems to be partly due to the generalization in the administration of chemotherapy and to the decrease of post surgical mortality.
Departament of Gastroenterology, CIBEREHD, University of Country Basque, Donostia Hospital, Avda. Sancho El Sabio, 17-2D, 20010 San Sebastián, Spain. medik@telefonica.net
Luis
L
Bujanda
Cristina
C
Sarasqueta
Elisabeth
E
Hijona
Lander
L
Hijona
Angel
A
Cosme
Ines
I
Gil
Jose Luis
JL
Elorza
Jose I
JI
Asensio
Santiago
S
Larburu
José M
JM
Enríquez-Navascués
Rodrigo
R
Jover
Francesc
F
Balaguer
Xavier
X
Llor
Xavier
X
Bessa
Montserrat
M
Andreu
Artemio
A
Paya
Antoni
A
Castells
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome