Colorectal cancer in a small rural hospital.

Over a 20-year period, 168 cases of colorectal cancer were treated in a 50-bed rural hospital by 1 surgeon. The majority of the patients were older than 70 years of age. The stage of disease was comparatively advanced, with 71% of the patients having nodal or distant metastases, 19% with bowel obstruction, and 8% with perforation. The operability and resectability rates were 100% and 96%, respectively. The crude 5-year survival was 50% for the entire series. The 5-year survival after curative operations in which there was no gross residual tumor at the end of the operation was 63%, and the 5-year survival for resection of localized node-negative disease was 81%. The wound infection rate was 2%, and the operative mortality rate was 1% for combined elective and emergency operations. The results of treatment of colorectal cancer in small rural hospitals are infrequently reported, and this series may be compared with the published results from large teaching institutions.