The surgical oncology in emergency: Considerations on 308 observed cases

Goal: make the point on the role of some prognostic parameters in the surgical oncology in emergency. Patients and Methods: From 1991 to 1999, about 3000 patients have been admitted in emergency. In 308 of them the reason of the admission was a tumor which is the matter of our study. 136 patients underwent surgery. Results: Our study under-lines a not negligible percentage of admissions of tumors in emergency (10.2%). The digestive apparatus was the most stricken (61.6%). The operative mortality was 6.6%, due mainly to the general conditions of the patients and to the stage of the disease, while the morbidity was 28% (41 patients). Conclusions: Despite the screenings for the precocious diagnosis of neoplasms, still today a not negligible percentage of patients is admitted in emergency with a tumor underestimated until that moment and often in an advanced stage. The necessity to treat these patients in emergency, therefore without a proper preparation and staging of the disease, limits partially what today is the multidisciplinary approach to cancer.