Preoperative Evaluation and Oncologic Principles of Colon Cancer Surgery

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in men and women and accounts for 10% of all cancer deaths. The primary risk factor for colorectal cancer is advancing age, but other factors also play a role in its development, including genetic predisposition, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and high-fat, low-fiber diet. Colon cancer survival is primarily related to the stage of disease at diagnosis. The main screening tests for colon cancer are fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy, double-contrast barium enema, and colonoscopy. The pre-operative evaluation should include a complete blood count, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), colonoscopy, and chest radiograph. Other preoperative evaluations are patient specific or of unproven benefit. The operative procedure should include a bowel preparation, parenteral antibiotics, and deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis. The procedure performed must be tailored to the location of the colon cancer but should include complete, en bloc resection of the cancer and its lymphatic drainage, including locally invaded structures. The bowel margins of resection should be at least 5 cm from the tumor to minimize anastomotic recurrences. Laparoscopic colectomy has been shown to be as safe and effective as open colectomy for the treatment of colon cancer. The use of sentinel lymph node biopsy is feasible but has not yet been proved clinically useful. Surveillance after surgery for colon cancer is necessary to monitor for metastatic disease or local recurrence. Several groups have made surveillance recommendations including office visits, colonoscopy, and CEA monitoring.