Comparative analysis of clinical and morphological data of patients of different age groups who underwent emergency surgical interventions for complicated colon cancer

The aim of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of clinical and morphological data of patients of different age groups after emergency resection interventions for complicated colon cancer.
Materials and methods. The retrospective cohort study included 227 patients who underwent emergency operations for complicated colon cancer during the period from September 2016 to December 2022. Two groups of patients were selected: group 1 – under 60 years old, group 2–60 years old and older. In the 2nd group, 2 subgroups were selected: patients aged between 60 to 74 years and patients between 75 years and older. The primary point of the study was assessment of postoperative complications according to the Clavien–Dindo classification within 30 days after surgery. The secondary point was study of oncological adequacy of the operation.
Results. The study included 128 (56.4 %) women and 99 (43.6 %) men. The median age was 66 years. Forty seven (20.7 %) patients were included in the group of persons younger than 60 years; 180 (79.3 %) patients were included in the group 60 years and older. There were no differences between the groups by gender and tumor localization. Tumor perforation was more often recorded in group 2 (23.3 % and 4.3 %, p = 0.017). High comorbidity was also more often observed in group 2 (46.8 % and 100 %, p = 0.023). In group 2, the physical status mostly corresponded to ASA grade 3 and 4 (p = 0.031). The difference between the groups by T-status was revealed: in group 1, there were more cases of T2-T3 (76.6 % vs. 46.7 %), and in group 2 – of T4 (53.3 % vs. 23.4 %), p = 0.034. Most patients in group 1 had the pN2 status (68.1 %), however, the pN1 status prevailed in the 2^nd group (70 %). There were more oncologically inadequate operations in group 2: 54 (30 %) compared with group 1–2 (4.3 %) (p = 0.004). The main factors influencing the radicality of the performed operation were the type of urgent complication – tumor perforation (odds ratio (OR) 1.81, 95 % CI 1.43–3.96, p = 0.002); type of surgery (the Hartmann type surgery) (OR 1.62, 95 % CI 1.22–3.83, p <0.001); age OR 0.76, 95 % CI 0.54–1.33, p = 0.004); comorbidity (OR 0.61, 95 % CI 0.43–1.28, p = 0.02); physical status of patients according to ASA classification grade 3–4 at admission (OR 0.52, 95 % CI 0.30–1.49, p = 0.002); tumor localization (OR 0.43, 95 % CI 0.28–1.15, p = 0.011).
Conclusion. Emergency operations for complicated colon cancer are characterized by a high risk of serious postoperative complications, especially in elderly and senile patients. In patients younger than 60 years of age, the malignant tumors are often characterized by more aggressive course with damage to regional lymph nodes (N2 status).

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