SURGICAL-MANAGEMENT OF NONHEPATIC INTRAABDOMINAL RECURRENCE OF CARCINOMA OF THE COLON

The role of surgery in the management of intra-abdominal recurrence of colon cancer has not been clearly determined. We reviewed the charts of 28 patients operated upon at our institution for nonhepatic intra-a bdominal recurrence of carcinoma of the colon and followed for a media n of 10. 5 months after reoperation. Total resection of gross disease was possible in 15 patients, who had a median overall actuarial surviv al of 25.5 months and a disease-free survival of 13 months. Within thi s group, disease-free survival was significantly prolonged when time t o first recurrence was greater than 16 months and when patients had no t had a prior operation for recurrent disease (P < 0.05). Six patients having a partial resection and seven patients having only a bypass or ostomy had significantly shorter survivals than those in the totally resected group, with median survivals of 8 and 3.5 months, respectivel y (P < 0. 0 5). Operative management of recurrent colon cancer may pro long survival when disease can be eradicated, and palliative operation s appear more successful when tumor is resected rather than bypassed.