Defunctioning stoma and short- and long-term outcomes after low anterior resection for rectal cancer : a nationwide register-based cohort study

• PURPOSE: A defunctioning stoma reduces the risk of symptomatic anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer and mitigates the consequences when a leakage occurs, but the impact on mortality and oncological outcomes is unclear. The aim was to investigate the associations of a defunctioning stoma with short- and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing low anterior resection for rectal cancer.METHODS: Data from all patients who underwent curative low anterior resection for rectal cancer between 1995 and 2010 were obtained from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Register. A total of 4130 patients, including 2563 with and 1567 without a defunctioning stoma, were studied. Flexible parametric models were used to estimate hazard ratios for all-cause mortality, 5-year local recurrence, and distant metastatic disease in relation to the use of defunctioning stoma, adjusting for confounding factors and accounting for potential time-dependent effects.RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 8.3 years, a total of 2169 patients died. In multivariable analysis, a relative reduction in mortality was observed up to 6 months after surgery (hazard ratio = 0.82: 95% CI 0.67-0.99), but not thereafter. After 5 years of follow-up, 4.2% (173/4130) of the patients had a local recurrence registered and 17.9% (741/4130) had developed distant metastatic disease, without difference between patients with and without defunctioning stoma.CONCLUSION: A defunctioning stoma is associated with a short-term reduction in all-cause mortality in patients undergoing low anterior resection for rectal cancer without any difference in long-term mortality and oncological outcomes, and should be considered as standard of care.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Gastroenterologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Gastroenterology and Hepatology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Anastomotic leakage

Defunctioning stoma

Rectal cancer

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)