Right vs left colon cancers have comparable survival: a decade's experience

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare survival rates between right and left colon cancers following curative intent oncologic resection. The data of right- (between cecum and proximal two-thirds of the transverse colon) and left-sided (between distal one-third of the transverse colon and distal sigmoid colon) colon cancer patients, operated with curative intent including central vascular ligation between January 2005 and 2015, were recorded in a prospectively compiled database. Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics (laparoscopic resection, multivisceral resection, lymph node yield, metastatic lymph node yield, pathologic stage, duration of operation), early post-operative results, and overall 5-year survival rates were abstracted. A total of 426 patients were included. There were no differences in epidemiologic and clinical characteristics between two groups (p > 0.05), except a higher median lymph node yield in right-sided colon cancers (31 vs 24, p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis identified no differences in overall 5-year survival rates between right (76.9%) and left colon (76.4%) cancers (p = 0.752). In right-sided colon cancer group, 5-year overall survival was significantly higher with laparoscopic resection (60.5% vs 78.9%, p = 0.008). There were no significant differences in left-sided colon cancer group per surgical approach (p = 0.357). Curative intent oncologic resection with central vascular ligation provided similar overall 5-year survival rates in right- vs left-sided colon cancers. Laparoscopic resection provided a significantly increased 5-year overall survival in right colon cancer group.