[Intestinal occlusion in colo-rectal cancer]

A comparison was made between 73 patients with colon-rectum neoplasia operated urgently due to occlusion and 85 electively operated in the absence of mechanical ileus. Six parameters were examined: 1) Duration of preoperative symptomatology; 2) Seriousness of preoperative symptomatology; 3) Extention of neoplasia at surgery; 4) Type of operation; 5) Postoperative mortality; 6) Long-term survival. It was found that obstruction often occurs within 5 months after the onset of symptoms and in cases where the tumour is still local (55%). It is attended by higher postoperative mortality (22%) and shorter survival (18 as opposed to 23 months).