In a nutshell
This study investigated colorectal surgery as treatment option for metastatic (the cancer has spread to other organs) colorectal cancer. Researchers reported that colorectal surgery alone is associated with increased survival rates.
Some background
Roughly 20% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed once they have already spread. Prior studies suggested that surgically removing lung or liver metastases combined with colorectal surgery and chemotherapy or radiation therapy is associated with increased survival rates. However, some metastases are not able to be surgically removed. It is not clear if colorectal surgery alone increases the patient survival when cancer has spread.
Methods & findings
The objective of this study was to evaluate if colorectal surgery improves survival in spread cancers.
This study included information on 1446 patients who undergone surgery (16% – group 1) and chemotherapy or radiation therapy alone (84% – group 2).
Patients who undergone surgery alone survived significantly longer (9.2 months) than patients who received chemotherapy or radiation therapy alone (7.6 months).
The bottom line
This study determined that colorectal surgery alone increases patient survival rates in metastatic cancers.
The fine print
This study did not determine which patients are able to or should undergo surgery.
Published By :
Diseases of the colon and rectum
Date :
Apr 01, 2016
