Survival Outcomes after Elective or Emergency Surgery for Synchronous Stage IV Colorectal Cancer

Patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) who have not undergone primary tumor resection (PTR) are at risk of sudden medical emergencies. Despite the ongoing controversy over the necessity and timing of PTR in patients with stage IV CRC, studies comparing the survival outcomes of elective and emergency surgery in this population are scarce. This is a retrospective study conducted at a single institute. The patients were divided into two groups: the elective surgery (ELS) group (n = 46) and the emergency surgery (EMS) group (n = 26). The primary outcome was 2-year overall survival (OS). During a median follow-up period of 27.0 months, the 2-year OS was significantly better in the ELS group (80% vs. 42.9%, p = 0.002). No significant differences were observed in the 2-year relapse-free survival and 30-day postoperative complication rates. Planning and performing elective surgery could help increase the survival rate of patients with synchronous stage IV CRC, especially those that undergo simultaneous or staged metastasectomy.

Automated summary

Patients with stage IV colorectal cancer who have not undergone primary tumor resection are at risk of sudden medical emergencies. This study compared the survival outcomes of elective and emergency surgery in this population and found that elective surgery was associated with significantly better 2-year overall survival.