OBJECTIVE

To delineate the association of postoperative complications with clinicopathologic factors and to identify risk factors for tumor recurrence and mortality after tumor resection in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

The clinical data of 1144 patients with CRC who underwent surgical intervention between 2003 and 2013 were retrieved. Correlations of postoperative complications with clinicopathologic factors were examined using univariate analysis. Risk factors for tumor recurrence and mortality of the patients after tumor resection were identified using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Time to relapse and overall survival were analyzed using log-rank test of Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS

Blood carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) significantly correlated with early symptoms, preoperative manifestations, and tumor pathology. Low differentiation grade of tumor increased the risk of recurrence after surgery in all patients with CRC. In the same cohort of patients, elevated blood CEA, low differentiation grade of tumor, laparotomy, smoking history, and TNM stage IV and III increased the mortality risk after tumor resection. In patients with advanced colon cancer, risk for postoperative mortality was increased by blood CEA, advanced tumor stage, and low tumor differentiation grade; while in those with advanced rectal cancer, blood CEA, pathologic type other than mucinous/adenocarcinoma, and laparotomy were identified as significant risk factors. In both groups of patients, postoperative chemotherapy significantly reduced the risk of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The present work has identified clinical factors increasing the risk of recurrence as well as mortality after surgery in more than 1,000 patients with CRC. Postoperative chemotherapy is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of mortality. All of these findings should provide insights into the better management of critically ill patients with CRC.