Metallic stent placement in the palliative treatment of malignant colonic obstructions: Primary colonic versus extracolonic malignancies

Purpose: To compare retrospectively clinical outcomes in patients who underwent metallic stent placement for colonic obstruction caused by colonic or extracolonic malignancies. Materials and Methods: Palliative stent placement was performed for inoperable malignant colonic obstruction in 108 patients, including 58 for primary colorectal cancer and 50 for extracolonic malignancies including gastric (n = 31), pancreatic (n = 8), ovarian (n = 4), bladder (n = 2), bile duct (n = 1), gallbladder (n = 1), breast (n = 1), esophageal (n = 1), and renal (n = 1) cancers. Results: Technical (84% vs 94%, P =.137) and clinical (98% vs 96%, P =.533) success rates of stent placement were similar in patients with primary colorectal cancer and patients with extracolonic malignancies. Rates of perforation, stent migration, tumor overgrowth, bleeding, and pain did not differ significantly between groups of patients with primary colorectal cancer and extracolonic malignancies. The median symptom-free survival periods were 4 months in patients with primary colorectal cancer and 3 months in patients with extracolonic malignancies (P =.072). Conclusions: Metallic stent placement was clinically effective in the palliative treatment of colonic obstructions in patients with primary colorectal cancer and patients with extracolonic malignancies.