EvidenceUpdates - abstract/commentaries: Colonic stenting versus emergency surgery for acute left-sided malignant colonic obstruction: a multicentre r

 Note: this study was originally published in The Lancet and involved patients in 25 hospitals; the study pertained to left-sided colorectal cancers however may be appropriate/of interest to other cancer patient populations; commentaries are included from a variety of professions including gastroenterologist, oncologists...

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BACKGROUND: Colonic stenting as a bridge to elective surgery is an alternative for emergency surgery in patients with acute malignant colonic obstruction, but its benefits are uncertain. We aimed to establish whether colonic stenting has better health outcomes than does emergency surgery.


INTERPRETATION: Colonic stenting has no decisive clinical advantages to emergency surgery. It could be used as an alternative treatment in as yet undefined subsets of patients, although with caution because of concerns about tumour spread caused by perforations.