Prognosis in relation to symptom duration in colon cancer

Abstract

Between 1950 and 1978 754 patients underwent operation by one of the authors for carcinoma of the colon. Follow-up data were available on 99 per cent. Tumour stage distribution did not differ significantly with increasing duration of symptoms. The proportion of curative to palliative operative procedures was unrelated to symptom duration. Cancer specific survival for the entire patient series was worse when symptoms had been present for less than 3 months compared with 3-6 months, 6-12 months or 12 months or more (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.04, respectively). Cancer specific survival after curative resection was also worse in patients with a symptom duration of less than 3 months compared with 3-6 months or 12 months or more (P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.03, respectively). These results show that colon cancer patients in whom the diagnosis is made and operation performed after a short symptomatic period do not have less advanced tumours nor better survival prospects.

PET-CT-Untersuchungen zur Stammzellkarzinogenese im Kolorektalbereich

“…1981 verfolgten McDermott und Hughes die Über-lebenszeit von 754 Kolonkarzinomen. Danach differierten die Dukes-Gruppen A, B und C bei einer Symptomdauer von weniger als 3 Monaten nicht von der mit mehr als 12 Monaten bei gleich bleibender unterschiedlicher Prognose [9]. Wie man leicht sehen kann, verteilen sich die Zahl der Einzelfälle in den Dukes-Gruppen A, B und C auch nach der oben genannten Galton-Regel (.…”

Colorectal cancer and its delayed diagnosis: have we improved in the past 25 years?

“…Results so far have been varied and contradictory. Thus, some authors conclude that there is correlation between a greater delay and a more advanced tumor stage (10)(11)(12), while according to others, this relationship only holds for tumors of the rectum (13)(14)(15) and some have been unable to find any relationship at all (9,(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26).…”

Right colon cancer: Long‐term results after curative surgery and prognostic significance of duration of symptoms

“…McDermott et al [4] found a significantly greater proportion of poorly differentiated tumors in patients with symptoms for less than 3 months compared with those presenting with symptoms of 3 and 6 months duration, but not with patients with symptoms of longer duration. Furthermore, they found a worse survival rate in patients with symptoms arising within 3 months compared with those with symptoms of longer duration.…”