Influence of second or multiple tumours on the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the Western world. A wide variety of prognostic factors for colorectal cancer have been identified. There is, however, a paucity of literature addressing the influence of multiple primary carcinomas on prognosis.

Metachronous metastasis- and survival-analysis show prognostic importance of lymphadenectomy for colon carcinomas.

Background: Lymphadenectomy is performed to assess patient prognosis and to prevent metastasizing. Recently, it was questioned whether lymph node metastases were capable of metastasizing and therefore, if lymphadenectomy was still adequate. We evaluated whether the nodal status impacts on the occurrence of distant metastases by analyzing a highly selected cohort of colon cancer patients.

Multivisceral and standard resections in colorectal cancer.

Purpose: The current study was designed to identify prognostic factors for long-term survival in patients with advanced colorectal cancer in a consecutive cohort.

Methods: A total of 123 patients were operated because of T4 colorectal cancer between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2008 in the Clinic of Surgery, UK-SH Campus Luebeck.

Results: A total of 78 patients underwent a multivisceral resection.

Sequential surgical resection of hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer.

Background: Resection of isolated hepatic or pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer is widely accepted and associated with a 5-year survival rate of 25-40%. The value of aggressive surgical management in patients with both hepatic and pulmonary metastases still remains a controversial area.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of 1,497 patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) was analysed.

Radical surgery for early colorectal cancer--anachronism or oncologic necessity?

Background And Aims: Because of their low morbidity and mortality, limited resection or local excision are accepted therapeutical approaches in early colorectal cancer treatment. Even though, recent publications report recurrence rates after local excision of rectal cancer in up to 30%. This prompted us to evaluate our data for T1N0 colorectal cancer treated by radical surgery regarding recurrence, morbidity, mortality, and survival rates.

Increased serum levels of complement C3a anaphylatoxin indicate the presence of colorectal tumors.

Background & Aims: Late diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma results in a significant reduction of average survival times. Yet despite screening programs, about 70% of tumors are detected at advanced stages (International Union Against Cancer stages III/IV). We explored whether detection of malignant disease would be possible through identification of tumor-specific protein biomarkers in serum samples.