Prospective Analysis of More than 1,000 Patients with Rectal Carcinoma: Are There Gender-Related Differences?
BACKGROUND
Since the beginning of the new millennium gender medicine has become more and more relevant. The goal has been to unveil differences in presentation, treatment response, and prognosis of men and women with regard to various diseases.


METHODS
This study encompassed 1,061 patients who underwent surgery for rectal cancer at the Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Lübeck, Germany, between January 1990 and December 2011. Prospectively documented demographic, clinical, pathological, and follow-up data were obtained. Analysis encompassed the comparison of clinical, histopathological, and oncological parameters with regard to the subcohorts of male and female patients.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences could be found for clinical and histopathological parameters, location of tumor, resection with or without anastomosis, palliative or curative treatment, conversion rates, duration of surgery, and long-term survival. For the entire cohort, gender-related statistically significant differences in complications encompassed anastomotic leakage, burst abdomen, pneumonia, and urinary tract complications all of which occurred more often in men.


CONCLUSIONS
Data obtained in this study suggest that there are no gender-related differences in the oncologic surgical treatment of patients with rectal carcinoma. However, male sex seems to be a risk factor for increased early postoperative morbidity.
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Berlin, Germany.
Markus
M
Kleemann
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Berlin, Germany.
Claudia
C
Benecke
Lübeck Medical School, University of Lübeck, Berlin, Germany.
Diana
D
Helfrich
Berufsverband der Deutschen Chirurgen e.V. (BDC), Berlin, Germany.
Hans-Peter
HP
Bruch
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Berlin, Germany.
Tobias
T
Keck
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Berlin, Germany.
Tilman
T
Laubert
Complications; Gender; Laparoscopy; Rectal neoplasms