Recurrence and survival after potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer.

AIMS: To measure long-term outcomes in an unselected consecutive series of patients undergoing potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer at Dunedin Hospital and identify risk factors for disease recurrence and mortality.

METHOD: A retrospective study of 241 patients operated on between January 1990 and December 1992, and followed up to January 1996.

RESULTS: Overall five-year actuarial survival was 55 percent, and 66, 56 and 43 percent respectively for Dukes' stage A, B and C disease. Factors associated with increased overall mortality were advanced Dukes' stage, perioperative blood transfusion and smoking, whereas factors associated with disease recurrence were advanced Dukes' stage, large tumour size and presentation with obstruction.

CONCLUSIONS: Mortality following potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer in Dunedin has not changed significantly since the previous study 15 years earlier and is similar to more recently published data from other New Zealand centres.