title: Influence of second or multiple tumours on the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the Western world. A wide variety of prognostic factors for colorectal cancer have been identified. There is, however, a paucity of literature addressing the influence of multiple primary carcinomas on prognosis. We conducted the present study in order to investigate the influence of second or multiple primary tumours on the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1992 to 2005, 1500 patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at the University Hospital of Luebeck. Of these, 276 patients (19%) had multiple primary malignant tumours. We performed statistical analyses only on patients who underwent surgery with curative intent in order to minimise additional prognostic factors. The patients were divided into groups according to the time of multiple primary tumour occurrence. Data were analysed for various variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We did not detect any significant differences in survival either between the various groups or between patients with and without multiple primary tumours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of multiple primary carcinomas is not an independent prognostic factor in patients with an index tumour of the colorectum. Multiple primary tumours are thus not necessarily associated with a poorer outcome and patients should receive curative intent surgery and appropriate follow-up care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Luebeck Medical School, Luebeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humke
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oevermann
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schloericke
authors.forename: Conny
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bürk
authors.forename: Uwe Johannes
authors.initials: UJ
authors.lastname: Roblick
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Bruch
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Czymek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate