title: Osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians as a simple risk index of identifying a poor prognosis in women surgically treated for colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoporosis and colorectal cancer (CRC) in older women are considered enormous public health burdens. The effects of osteoporosis on the oncologic outcome of CRC surgery are poorly understood. We evaluated the use of the Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA) for predicting postoperative outcome in older women after receiving surgical treatment of CRC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present single-institution retrospective study analyzed patients who had undergone surgery for CRC in 2002-2008. To characterize the major population of women with osteoporosis, which consists of postmenopausal women, only patients aged 50 years and older were analyzed. Their OSTA scores were evaluated for correlations with cancer-specific survival after surgery for CRC by performing univariate, multivariate, and survival analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a 7-year period, 440 women were studied. The cancer-specific mortality and overall mortality rate was 28.4% and 33.4%, respectively. The univariate analyses revealed that significant predictors of cancer-specific mortality after CRC surgery were the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) stage, OSTA category, histologic grading, lymph node metastases, and tumor invasion depth. After risk adjustment, the UICC stage and OSTA risk index were independent predictors of mortality. A comparison of OSTA risk index among patients with different UICC stages showed that the accuracy of the index in predicting cancer-specific survival after CRC surgery was greatest for patients with stage II and III disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The UICC stage and OSTA risk status showed independent positive associations with postoperative mortality in aged female patients with CRC. Moreover, the OSTA index had a particularly strong association with cancer-specific mortality in patients with UICC stage II and III.
authors: Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Chao-Wen
authors: CW
authors: Chen
authors: Hsiang-Lin
authors: HL
authors: Tsai
authors: Yung-Sung
authors: YS
authors: Yeh
authors: Hsing-Lin
authors: HL
authors: Lin
authors: Ching-Wen
authors: CW
authors: Huang
authors: Chin-Fan
authors: CF
authors: Chen
authors: Yu-Tang
authors: YT
authors: Chang
authors: Yun-Ting
authors: YT
authors: Lou
authors: Jaw-Yuan
authors: JY
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome