Characteristics and Prognoses of Small Obstructing Colorectal Cancers: The Combination of Gross Findings Has Value in Predicting Recurrence after Curative Therapy

Abstract

Colonic obstruction was determined by clinical signs (abdominal distension, constipation, vomiting, abdominal pain), radiologic evidence (abnormal bowel gaseous distension), colonoscopic findings (inability to push the colonoscope past the lesion), and surgical findings (proximal bowel distension and edema). Many workers have suggested that tumor stage is the most important independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer.3, 4 However, in the present study, the combination of gross findings (size and obstruction) also appeared to be an independent risk factor for recurrence.