[Colonic cancer. Indications and results apropos of a continuous series of 223 patients].

The authors report a retrospective study of 223 surgical colonic carcinoma (1978-1987), the rectal carcinoma left out of them because of disparity in technical aspects. The total post-operative mortality rate was 9.4 per cent, made of great mortality in emergency (31 per cent) and in palliative surgery (17 per cent). Out of emergency, the mortality of curative surgery is 3.7 per cent. Surgical procedure was mechanical in 96 per cent with incidence of leakage in 3.9 per cent. The total survival rate is 53 per cent after 5 year follow-up, 70 per cent after curative surgery and 89 per cent for the first level (A) in DUKE'S classification. There is only a problem for the choice in size of resection for the sigmoid side (50 per cent of the cases). Contrary to recent studies, in our experience the post-operative mortality rate and survival rate are different with sigmoidectomy or left colectomy. Then the authors think that every model of resection has to be choice according age of patient and classification of carcinoma.