Prognostic factors affecting overall survival in right colon cancer

Abstract

Background: The prognosis of patients who have carcinoma of the colon is dependent on several factors that are clinical, pathological, and biological. Adequate lymph node staging in patients with colon cancer is important for determining prognosis and planning further treatment. We aimed to determine what factors might predict survival in patients with right colon cancer. Methods: Between 2007 and 2014, consecutive patients undergoing operation for adenocarcinoma of the right-sided colon were enrolled in this study. The following factors were analyzed with the Cox regression model: age, gender, localization of the tumor, recurrence, pTNM stage, removed and invaded lymph node status (MLN) and survival rate. Multivariate models were used to assess the adjusted effects and to explore the interaction between survival and other factors. Results: A total of 56 (38,1%) men and 91 (61,9%) women, mean age being 61,8 ± 15,9 years, were included. The mean survival time was 46,5 ± 43,2 months. The mean LN number was 18,8 ± 9,44; MLN number was 2,66 ± 5,13. Age, total LN, MLN number and postoperative stage were significant in the univariate analysis for survival. Independent predictors of survival in multivariate analysis were age (p=0,019), postoperative stage (p=0,039), and MLN (p=0,003). Conclusions: LN metastasis is a prognostic feature in patients by means of colon cancer. It could not be changed independent of a number of prognostic factors, such as age, but LN number was dependent on operation in right colon cancer surgery. LN yields have been linked to improved survival and its determination is reliant on both the surgeon and the pathologist.