Efficacy of Postoperative Chemotherapy in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer with Perforation

The clinical outcome and efficacy of postoperative chemotherapy in patients with Stage Ⅳ colorectal cancer with perforation were investigated. We compared the clinical outcomes between 11 patients with Stage Ⅳ colorectal cancer (perforation group), who underwent emergency surgery for colonic perforation between September 2005 and March 2012, and 22 matched patients (matching group) who underwent elective colorectal surgery during the same period. The colostomy rate in the perforation group was significantly higher than that of the matching group: patients with perforation received stoma construction surgery more frequently (p<0.01). Seven patients (64%) in the perforation group received postoperative chemotherapy, while 20 patients (91%) in the matching group received chemotherapy (p=0.15). Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was administered to all patients in both groups. There was no difference in the median relative dose intensity of oxaliplatin between these groups (p=0.37). No significant difference was observed between the cumulative 3-year overall survival rate in the perforation group and that of the matching group (35% and 54%, respectively; p=0.35). Moreover, the 3-year overall survival rates of patients who received oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy were 51%in the perforation group and 57% in the matching group (p=0.74). Our results suggest that postoperative oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy may improve the prognosis of patients with Stage Ⅳ colorectal cancer with perforation.