Metastasis surgery improves survival of patients with advanced colorectal cancer

This study investigated the survival outcomes of patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis (spread to other parts of the body). Researchers suggested that metastasis surgery is associated with survival improvement in these patients.

CRC is one of the most common cancers worldwide. A significant number of patients present with metastatic CRC (mCRC) at diagnosis. Treatments are often of limited effectiveness in mCRC. Therefore, metastasis surgery might be the only good enough option for these patients.

Prior studies suggested that surgery improves the survival of patients with early CRC. However, too little is known about the survival of patients with advanced CRC.

This study included information about 16,372 patients with mCRC. Of these 14,832 had isolated liver metastasis and 1540 had isolated lung metastasis. Survival outcomes were compared between patients who have received surgery for lung or liver metastasis and those who did not.

Patients who had undergone liver surgery had a significantly longer overall survival (38 months) compared to those who did not have surgery (13 months). Patients who received surgery had a 43.3% improvement in the odds of better survival.

Patients who received lung surgery had a better overall survival (45 months) than the ones who did not have surgery (19 months). Lung surgery was associated with a 51.8% improvement in the odds of a better overall survival.  

This study concluded that metastasis surgery improves the survival of patients with mCRC.

This study was based on information from medical registries. Some information was missing. This might have affected the results.