Long-term outcome of palliative therapy for malignant colorectal obstruction in patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancers: Endoscopic stenting versus surgery

Background: Self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) provide a promising alternative for initial palliation of malignant bowel obstruction. However, data on the long-term outcomes of SEMSs are limited. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the long-term outcomes of endoscopic stenting with those of surgery for palliation in patients with incurable obstructive colorectal cancer. Designs and Setting: A retrospective study. Patients: From January 2000 to December 2008, patients with incurable obstructive colorectal cancer who were treated with SEMSs (n = 71) or palliative surgery (n = 73) were reviewed. Interventions: SEMS placement by using through-the-endoscope methods or surgery. Main Outcome Measurements: Success rates and complication rates. Results: Early success rates in the SEMS group and those in the surgery group were not different (95.8% vs 100%, P = .12), and the SEMS group had fewer early complications than the surgery group (15.5% vs 32.9%, P = .015). Although the patency duration of the first stent in the SEMS group was shorter than that in the surgery group (P < .001), the median patency duration after a second stenting was comparable to that of the surgery group (P = .239). There were more late complications in the SEMS group than in the surgery group (P = .028), but the rates of major complications did not differ between the 2 groups (P = .074). Limitations: Retrospective and single-center study. Conclusions: SEMSs were not only an effective and acceptable therapy for initial palliation of malignant colorectal obstruction, but they also showed long-term efficacy comparable to that with surgery.