title: The influence of mechanical bowel preparation on long-term survival in patients surgically treated for colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we evaluated long-term survival in patients treated with and without mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) before colorectal surgery for cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Long-term outcome of patients of 2 main participating hospitals in a prior multicenter randomized trial comparing clinical outcome of MBP versus no MBP was reviewed. Primary endpoint was cancer-related mortality and secondary endpoint was all-cause mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 382 patients underwent potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer. One hundred seventy-seven (46%) patients were treated with MBP and 205 (54%) were not before surgery. Median follow-up was 7.6 years (mean 6.6, range .01 to 12.73). There was no significant difference in both cancer-related mortality and all-cause mortality in patients treated with MBP and without MBP (P = .76 and P = .36, respectively). Multivariate analysis, taking account of age, sex, AJCC cancer stage, and ASA classification, also showed no survival difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that MBP does not seem to influence long-term survival in patients surgically treated for colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ikazia Hospital, Montessoriweg 1, 3083 AN Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: hpieter44@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hans Pieter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van't Sant
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ikazia Hospital, Montessoriweg 1, 3083 AN Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arnoud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim C J
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hop
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ikazia Hospital, Montessoriweg 1, 3083 AN Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Heijden
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Maasstad Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Caroline M E
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Contant
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002400:Cathartics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics
keywords: Colorectal cancer; Surgery; Survival