Malignant large bowel obstruction

Of 4583 patients in the Large Bowel Cancer Project, 713 (16 per cent) were obstructed. The site of greatest risk was the splenic flexure (49 per cent). Advanced stage was neither the full reason why some patients obstructed nor for their subsequent poor prospects (age-adjusted 5-year survival: not obstructed, 45 per cent; obstructed, 25 per cent). Also, there was no greater risk of vascular invasion, no heavier lymph node burden and no worse...