Background:

Although the incidence of proximal colon cancers has been increasing in last 3 decades, the effect of tumor localization on survival is contraversial. In this study we aimed to evaluate the characteristic and survival analysis of colon cancer patients according to the tumor localization (right and left sided), whom have been treated and followed at Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpasa Training Hospital Department of General Surgery between January 1994 and May 2008.

Methods:

A total of 221 patients was included to study. Tumors occuring from cecum to splenic flexure were classified as right colonic tumor, and tumors occuring from splenic flexure to rectosigmoid junction were included in left colon tumors. Clinical and pathological parameters were analyzed and Kaplan-Meier method was used for calculating survival rates according to the tumor localization.

Results:

There were 93 patients in right colon cancer group and 128 in the other group. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding age, gender, grade and stage of the tumor, number of metastatic lymph nodes, tumor size and distant metastasis. The difference between number of lymph nodes and localization of tumor was statistically significant between groups (p=0,031). There was no significant correlation between overall survival, disease free survival and tumor localization.

Conclusion:

The tumor of our colon cancer patients was localized at right side of the colon in 42% and at left side of the colon in 58%. Localization of the tumor is not a prognostic factor according to our study.

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