BACKGROUND: To examine the role of TNM staging system as a predictive factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality, after colorectal cancer resections.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: During the last ten years, 368 patients with colorectal cancer were referred to our institution. All patients, who underwent primary treatment elsewhere or defunctioning colostomy only, or who did not undergo surgical therapy were excluded from the analysis. The early postoperative outcomes registration of the remaining 351 patients (197 men, median age 66.2 years) was retrospectively linked to TNM stage.
RESULTS: TNM stage had a poor prognostic value for the early postoperative morbidity rate. In addition, according to the statistical analysis, the proportion of early postoperative mortality proved to be higher in patients with TNM stage III or IV colorectal cancer.
CONCLUSIONS: TNM classification could be considered as a reliable predictor of early postoperative mortality, but has no role in the prediction of early postoperative morbidity after colorectal resections.