Safety of early chemotherapy after a laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection: A case-control study

Purpose: Since micrometastasis is generally inhibited by primary cancer, surgical ablation of the tumor may stimulate the growth of residual cancer cells, if they exist. This supports the importance of early administration of postoperative chemotherapy. Methods: We reviewed the cases of patients who underwent a laparoscopic resection and then received chemotherapy (5 fluorouracil+leucovorin or FOLFOX4) between September 2006 and May 2008. The chemotherapy was scheduled on the 7th or the 8th postoperative day, but was postponed when a final pathologic report was delayed or patients were discharged early. The safety of chemotherapy was evaluated in two ways. Early safety, such as the presence of surgical complications and medical toxicity, was prospectively assessed just before the beginning of the second cycle of chemotherapy. Late safety, such as medical toxicity, was retrospectively estimated from the 2nd to the last cycle. These safeties were compared between the two groups: the early chemotherapy group (n=50) for which chemotherapy started on the 7th or 8th postoperative day as scheduled and the delayed chemotherapy group (n=31) for which chemotherapy started after the 14th postoperative day. Results: Patient demographics were not different between the two groups. With regards to early safety, no differences in surgical complications existed between the two groups. In medical toxicities, there were no differences, except for a higher rate of nausea in the early chemotherapy group (20 percent vs. 10 percent, P=0.01). With regards to late safety, the two groups were not different in the development of medical toxicities. Conclusion: Because nausea is an easily controllable toxicity, we conclude that chemotherapy is safely started on the 7th or the 8th day after a laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection.