Aims: To audit all aspects of the diagnosis and management of colorectal cancers by a specialist unit within a District General Hospital (DGH). To compare the clinical effectiveness of the specialist service with the service prior to specialization and attempt to assess the feasibility of setting up such a service within the constraints imposed by a DGH.
Materials and methods: Data for this study was collected prospectively over a 3-year period from July 1997 to June 2000 since the establishment of a specialist colorectal service. The results so obtained have been compared with the Trent and Wales audit of 1993 as well as with the guidelines issued by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Association of Colo-proctologists of Great Britain and Ireland. We have attempted to evaluate whether specialization has altered the outcome for patients with colorectal cancer.
Results: A total of 2181 patients were seen at the specialist colorectal clinic and 42% underwent immediate flexible sigmoidoscopy. A total of 241 colorectal cancers were diagnosed during this period by the specialist unit, of which the rapid access clinic had picked up 191 (a pick-up rate of 8.75%). The mean age of patients with colorectal cancer was 69.23 years and the median waiting time from referral to clinic and from referral to treatment was 9 days and 24 days, respectively. These compare favourably with the waiting times prior to specialization. 117 rectal cancers were diagnosed of whom 32 (32%) underwent APER. A selective approach to short course preoperative radiotherapy resulted in 24% of rectal cancer patients receiving this treatment. The CRM was positive in 14% of resected rectal cancers, all of whom had received preoperative radiotherapy. The percentage of patients with Dukes' stage A disease has risen from 11% in 1993 to 23% and the percentage of patients undergoing emergency surgery have fallen from 29% in 1993 to 8.2%. The rate of permanent stoma formation has also decreased from 52% to 32%. This audit has also confirmed that the guidelines for the management of colorectal cancers were all being met or exceeded.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that, even within the constraints of a DGH, a specialist service can result in earlier diagnosis, shorter waiting periods and judicious use of adjuvant treatment leading to improved clinical effectiveness. It is possible to deliver a high quality service, which meets, and in some areas, surpasses the minimum guidelines, provided there is an integrated multidisciplinary approach.