The incidence, risk factors, and clinical relevance of stenosis of stapled colorectal anastomosis (CRA) were studied prospectively. Anastomotic stricture was defined as the inability of traversing the anastomosis with the rigid proctoscope. The population studied consisted of 179 patients (94 males) with an average age of 59.3 years (range: 20 to 91 years). The main indication for surgery was colorectal cancer in 59% of the cases, followed by diverticular disease in 23%. The first endoscopic control was performed before 4 months in 25% of the patients, between 5 and 10 months in 50%, and during the following 10 months in 25%. Stenosis was verified with the rigid instrument in 21.1% of the cases and with the flexible colonoscope in 4.4%. The barium enema performed in 12 cases confirmed a punctiform stenosis in 5 patients, 4 of whom had been asymptomatic. An endoscopic dilatation was performed on 5 of the 8 symptomatic patients, with one relapse that required an additional dilatation. In the univariate analysis only the lesser 4-month interval was statistically significant (p = 0.033; odds ratio (OR) = 2.3; confidence interval (CI) 95% = 1.06 to 4.97). Male patients (p = 0.057; OR = 2.08; IC 95% = 0.97-4.44) show a tendency to CRA stricture that does not reach statistically significant levels. In the multivariate analysis, only sex (p = 0.04; OR = 4.11; IC 95% = 1.03 to 5.41) and the time interval (p = 0.012; OR = 2.87; IC 95% = 1.25 to 6.57) appear as independent variables in stenosis risk of a stapled CRA. The incidence of this complication depends on the criteria used for defining it. It is clinically relevant in no more than 5% of the patients. Five out of eight patients in category II were treated successfully with an endoscopic dilatation, while the other three improved spontaneously. Early stenosis, although frequent, is generally asymptomatic and disappears spontaneously. Considering the lack of correlation between the degree of stricture and its symptomatology, it is convenient to combine both the anatomic and the clinical criteria in the selection of candidates for an eventual therapeutic procedure.

Our results provide evidence that complex cytokine networks may be used to identify patient subgroups with different prognoses in advanced NSCLC. These cytokines may represent potential biomarkers, particularly in the immunotherapy era in cancer research.

Surgical treatment of colon cancer. Retrospective analysis of 439 patientsBackground: Mortality for colon cancer duplicated in the last 15 years in Chile. Aim: To analyze immediate and late results of surgical treatment of colon cancer. Material and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 439 patients aged 22 to 92 years, 55% women, subjected to elective surgery for colon cancer between 1991 and 2007. Results: At the moment of surgery 86% of tumors were resectable and 25% were in stage IV. Twenty one percent of patients had surgical complications, 4% had to be reoperated and 1% died. Ten years global survival for stages I to III was 82%. Survival signifi cantly decreased for stages IIIb and forward. Preoperative carcinoembrionic antigen, vascular permeation, the number of involved lymph nodes and chemotherapy were relevant prognostic factors. If TNM classifi cation is included in the model, only vascular permeation and lymph node involvement remain as prognostic factors. Conclusions: TNM classifi cation and lymph node involvement are the main survival prognostic factors in this series of patients with colon cancer Key words: Colon cancer, lymph node involvement, prognosis. ResumenAntecedentes: La mortalidad por cáncer de colon (CC) se ha duplicado en Chile en los últimos 15 años. El objetivo es analizar los resultados inmediatos y alejados del tratamiento quirúrgico del CC en un hospital público docente. Pacientes y Método: Se incluyen todos los pacientes intervenidos en forma electiva por un CC entre 1991 y 2007. Los pacientes fueron etapifi cados según el TNM 2002. Los pacientes estadios I a III con R0 son considerados como cirugía con intención curativa. Las curvas de sobrevida fueron estimadas según el método de Kaplan-Meier, las que se comparan con el test log-rank. Para determinar los factores pronósticos más relevantes en el análisis multivariado se utilizó el modelo de regresión de Cox. Resultados: Se trata de 439 pacientes, 55% mujeres, con una edad promedio de 67 años (extremos 22-92). La resecabilidad fue de 86%, el 25% de los casos estaba en estadio IV, la morbilidad fue 21%, la tasa de reoperaciones fue 4% y la mortalidad 1%. La sobrevida global de los estadios I a III fue 82% a 10 años, con una clara infl exión negativa de las curvas a partir del estadio IIIB. El CEA preoperatorio, la permeación vascular, el número de ganglios positivos y la quimioterapia aparecen como factores pronósticos relevantes. Al introducir el TNM en Rev.

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