title: Trends in incidence, treatment and survival of patients with stage IV colorectal cancer: a population-based series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence, patterns of care and survival were determined in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) in a population-based series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Computer records for patients diagnosed with stage IV CRC diagnosed from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2007 were retrieved from the Rotterdam Cancer Registry. Surgical resection of the primary tumour, chemotherapy use, hepatic surgery and survival were evaluated according to year of diagnosis, age, gender and primary tumour site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the southwestern part of the Netherlands, 19 014 new patients with CRC were diagnosed and synchronous metastatic disease was found in 3482 (18%). This proportion increased during the study period, from 16% to 21%. Surgical resection of the primary tumour was performed in approximately 50% of the patients and did not change over time. Postoperative 30-day mortality was 8%. Chemotherapy use increased from 18% in the first period to 56% in the latest period. Liver surgery increased from 4% in the first period to 10% in the latest period. Median survival increased from 7 months to 12 months and 2-year survival increased from 14% to 28%. Two-year survival declined with increasing age and was significantly worse for right-sided tumours (14%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survival of patients with stage IV CRC has improved over time and this is probably a result of the increased use of chemotherapy and the increased numbers of patients who underwent hepatic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus University MC, Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: A E M
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: van der Pool
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Damhuis
authors.forename: J N M
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Ijzermans
authors.forename: J H W
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: de Wilt
authors.forename: A M M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Eggermont
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kranse
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verhoef
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate