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Objective: Adequate decision-making concerning elderly patients with colorectal cancer requires accurate information regarding the risks of treatment. We analysed the post-operative outcomes and survival following colorectal resections in the oldest old patients (≥ 85 years old)., Design: Retrospective study., Method: We analysed the data from 2011 and 2012 of all patients with colorectal carcinoma, stage I-III, from two national databases, namely the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit registry (DSCA) and the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NKR)., Results: The study included over 1200 elderly patients. The postoperative complication rate was 41%. The frequency of cardiopulmonary complications rose rapidly with age, from 11% in those < 70 years to 38% in those aged > 85 years. The postoperative 30-day mortality rate was 10% for the oldest old patients, whereas it was 14% after three months, 24% after one year and 36% after two years. After correction for expected mortality in the general population, excess mortality for the oldest old was 12% in the first year and 3% in the second year., Conclusion: For patients aged ≥ 85 years who undergo surgical resection for colorectal carcinoma, high rates of cardiopulmonary complications and excess mortality in the first year after surgery are observed. We propose that these data could be analysed together with information regarding individual patients' health status, to enable optimisation of future decision-making regarding potential surgical intervention in elderly patients.

Objective: To provide an overview of the morbidity, mortality and survival following the introduction of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of colorectal liver metastases in the Netherlands., Design: Prospective, descriptive study., Method: Between June 1999 and December 2003 in eight hospitals in the Netherlands, 87 patients treated by RFA for colorectal liver metastases were included in the study. The outcome measures were morbidity, 30-day mortality and the percentage local recurrence., Results: In 104 RFA procedures, 199 metastases were ablated; 31 procedures were performed percutaneously and 73 by laparotomy. In 29 procedures, RFA was combined with partial liver resection. The overall postoperative morbidity rate was 19% and the RFA-related morbidity was 14%. 1 patient died following right hemihepatectomy and RFA in the remaining parenchyma (mortality: 1%). Median survival following RFA was 25 months, with a median progression-free survival of 13 months. The overall local recurrence rate was 46%. Since January 2004, this percentage has decreased to approximately 6. Diameter and central location of the metastases were independent risk factors for the development of a local recurrence., Conclusion: RFA is an alternative treatment for patients who are not eligible for partial liver resection. The high local recurrence rate in this series reflects the limited experience with this technique during its introduction in the Netherlands. In specialised centres the percentage local recurrence is now 5. Treatment by RFA should always be weighed against the option of partial liver resection and possible (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy. RFA should therefore preferably be carried out in a centre with expertise in the field of liver surgery.

Three patients, 61, 58 and 63 years old, presented with non-resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer. The first patient, a man, who had a solitary lesion in the liver and severe cardiovascular morbidity, was successfully treated with laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy. The second patient, a woman, had large multiple liver metastases and two concomitant isolated pulmonary metastases. Following chemotherapy with fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin, all lesions were downsized and a hemihepatectomy and pulmonary wedge resections were able to be performed in two stages. At the last follow-up, both patients were disease-free after 12 and 24 months respectively. The third patient, a man, presenting with multiple synchronous liver metastases, showed a significant decrease of hepatic tumour involvement after six courses of capecitabine. At present he is in a good condition and his disease is stable. Surgical resection ofcolorectal liver metastases leads to a 5-year survival rate of up to 45% in selected patients. Unfortunately, only 10 to 20% of patients are amenable to surgical resection. In the remaining group, a combination of new treatment options using local tumour ablative therapies and novel chemotherapeutic regimens provide alternative strategies with the potential of long-term survival.

Over the course of a few years, an obese 52-year-old woman with a 23-year history of hypertension developed a number of abdominal complaints including gall stones. Her blood pressure became increasingly difficult to control and she developed diabetes mellitus and suffered palpitations and headaches. It became noticeable that she had a moon face. Laboratory tests revealed hypercortisolism. CT-scan showed a large inhomogeneous mass of nine centimetres in her left adrenal gland, which was subsequently removed surgically. The histopathological diagnosis was consistent with an adenoma. After a number of months the patient developed bone and liver metastases and the diagnosis was amended to carcinoma of the adrenal cortex. She then underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment. One year after surgery she developed a pancytopenia and died. Adrenocortical carcinomas are rare tumours with an incidence of about 1-2 cases per million of the population. Symptoms are heterogeneous since both functional (hormonal overproduction) and non-functional (mass effect) tumours exist. Surgical resection is the only curative therapy. It may be difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant cortical tumours.

Objective: To compare the results of the surgical treatment of nonpalpable breast cancer between two teaching hospitals in The Netherlands; the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU) and the Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem (RHA)., Design: Retrospective., Method: A total of 240 patients from the UMCU (n = 126) and the RHA (n = 114) diagnosed with a malignancy at stereotactic histological needle biopsy from 1 February 1997-31 May 2002 were included. The average age of the patients at the RHA was 61.3 and at the UMCU 58.0 years. The total number of procedures was recorded, as well as the type of operation and whether the first surgeon was a resident-in-training or registered as a surgeon., Results: Of the 240 patients, biopsy results showed that 163 had invasive carcinoma (IC) and 77 had a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). In 74% of cases one operation was sufficient (79% in the RHA versus 69% in the UMCU; p = 0.08). In the RHA fewer operations per patient were carried out before radical resection was attained (1.25 versus 1.4; p = 0.02). IC was more often treated by breast conserving surgery in the RHA than in the UMCU (74% versus 55%; p = 0.01). The intention to treat DCIS by breast conserving surgery was more often seen in the UMCU than in the RHA (90% versus 69%; p = 0.02). Of all operations analysed in the RHA 48% were performed by a resident-in-training as first surgeon versus 87% in the UMCU (p < 0.001). In those patients whose first operation was carried out by a resident-in-training, the percentages of 'radical resections' were equal: 78% in the RHA and 77% in the UMCU., Conclusion: Outcomes of surgical treatment were comparable in both types of teaching hospital. Good results were achieved in nonpalpable breast cancer surgery that was carried out by residents-in-training.

Objective: To determine the reliability of stereotactic large core needle biopsy (SLCNB) in the diagnostic work-up of suspected carcinomatous non-palpable breast lesions., Design: Prospective., Patients and Methods: Between 1 February 2000 and 6 June 2002, data were collected on all patients with a non-palpable breast lesion who were scheduled to undergo a SLCNB. SLCNB procedures were performed in 4 centres and patients were referred from 40 hospitals in the Netherlands. Histological diagnosis at SLCNB and subsequent therapy were recorded. Results were compared with results of the preceding 'Core biopsy after radiological localisation' (COBRA) study, where each large core needle biopsy was followed by an excision biopsy. Follow-up data were also obtained from the Dutch National Automated Pathology Archive (PALGA). The adherence to the COBRA guidelines was also evaluated., Results: Nine hundred and fifty-five patients were included with 995 lesions, and 905 biopsy procedures were completed in 874 patients (mean age: 59 years; range: 23-86). Of the high-risk lesions, 27% were found to be carcinomas upon excision biopsy, which is comparable to the results of the COBRA study (23%). Twenty-eight percent of the ductal in-situ carcinomas were found to be invasive, which is higher than in the COBRA study (17%). No malignancies were found during the limited follow-up period (mean: 20.0 months; range: 5.8-34.0). Ninenty-six percent of the patients were treated according to the COBRA guidelines., Conclusion: No malignancies were missed during the limited follow-up period, and therefore, to date, the sensitivity of SLCNB seems to be comparable to that estimated in the study setting.

Three women aged 74, 59 and 36 years, had chronic complaints of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, 1 to 8 years after radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies. Mechanical ileus due to fibrotic adhesions was found to be the cause; all three patients recovered after one or more operations. The prevalence of chronic radiation injury correlates with both radiation factors (volume) and patient characteristics. If possible, tumour recurrence needs to be excluded. Chronic intermittent ileus is the predominant symptom of chronic radiation injury. It often occurs within 2 years, but sometimes as long as 10 to 20 years after radiotherapy. Resection is warranted when short segments are affected. In other cases an intestinal bypass or stoma is the treatment of choice.

Objective: Evaluation of the results of partial liver resections for both benign and malignant abnormalities and the identification of risk factors for the development of complications., Design: Descriptive, retrospective., Method: All consecutive partial liver resections performed between January 1991 and October 2000 at the University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands, were reviewed for preoperative, peroperative and postoperative parameters. Risk factors were determined by means of a univariate analysis and a multiple logistic regression analysis. The 5-year survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: A total of 133 patients (71 men and 62 women; median age: 58 years (range: 17-79)) underwent 137 hepatic resections for benign (n = 29) and malignant (n = 108) liver abnormalities. In total, 74 procedures (54%) were considered to be major hepatic resections and blood transfusion was required in 97 patients (71%). A total of 43 complications was observed in 32 patients (32/137; 23%). Eight patients died as a result of postoperative complications (8/137; 5.8%). Independent risk factors associated with the development of major complications were a major resection (OR: 3.6) and more than 2 peroperative units of packed cells (OR: 5.0). The principal indication for liver resection were colorectal metastases (n = 69). The 5-year survival rate after liver resection for colorectal metastases was 38% (95% CI: range 21-54) with a 5-year disease-free survival rate of 25% (range 10-41). The postoperative mortality in this group was 2.9%., Conclusion: After partial liver resection for benign and malignant lesions the mortality was 5.8% and the morbidity 23%. The risk of postoperative morbidity was related to the number of peroperative units of packed cells and the extent of the resection.