title: Right- and left-sided colon cancer - clinical and pathological differences of the disease entity in one organ.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some researchers suggest that cancers located in the right vs. the left side of the colon are different and they can be regarded as distinct disease entities. The aim of this study was to analyze differences in clinical, epidemiological and pathological features of patients with right-sided (RCC) and left-sided (LCC) colon cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand two hundred and twenty-four patients were operated on due to colorectal cancer. A group of 477 patients (254 women, mean age 65.5 ±11 for the whole group) with colon cancer was included (212 RCC vs. 265 LCC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Right colon cancer patients were older (67.8 ±11.3 vs. 63.2 ±11.2;p= 0.0087). Left colon cancer patients underwent surgery for urgent indications more often (17.0% vs. 8.5%;p= 0006). Tumor diameter was greater in the RCC group (55 ±60 mm vs. 38 ±21 mm;p= 0.0003). Total number of removed lymph nodes was higher in the RCC group (11.7 ±6 vs. 8.3 ±5;p= 0.0001). Lymph node ratio was higher in the LCC group (0.45 ±0.28 vs. 0.30 ±0.25;p= 0.0063). We found a strong positive correlation between tumor diameter and the number of removed lymph nodes in the LCC group (r= 0.531).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These differences may result from the fact that RCC patients are diagnosed at an older age. The smaller number of removed lymph nodes in LCC patients may result in incorrect staging. It is still necessary to find other biological dissimilarities of adenocarcinoma located on different sides of the colon.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Colorectal Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mik
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Colorectal Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berut
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Colorectal Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dziki
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Colorectal Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Radzislaw
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trzcinski
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Colorectal Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dziki
keywords: colon cancer; left-sided; location; pathology; right-sided; surgery