Intraoperative Blood Loss Predicts Local Recurrence After Curative Resection for Stage I–III Colorectal Cancer

ABSTRACT Background To identify the predictors of local recurrence and distant metastasis after radical surgery for stage I–III colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods Patient and tumor characteristics, clinicopathological stages, perioperative factors, and postoperative outcomes, including local and distant recurrence, of patients who underwent primary colorectal resection were evaluated in this multicenter retrospective analysis. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for local and distant recurrences, with a focus on the intraoperative blood loss (IBL) ratio [IBL (mL)/total blood volume (mL)] and postoperative complications. Results The risk factors for local and distant recurrence pattern differed. The predictors for local recurrence included perioperative factors, such as the IBL ratio and anastomotic leakage, as well as tumor factors, including pT4, rectal cancer, and poorly differentiated histology, in the multivariate analysis. On the other hand, the predictors for distant recurrence included perioperative factors, such as Clavien–Dindo score ≥ 3, and absence of adjuvant chemotherapy as well as tumor factors including pT stage, pN stage, and rectal cancer. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for local recurrence in the IBL ratio was 0.745, which was higher than the AUCs for other recurrence patterns in the IBL ratio. Patients with a higher IBL ratio had a higher rate of early local recurrence within 2 years postoperatively (Wilcoxon test and p = 0.028). Conclusion Reducing IBL and formulating perioperative strategies to prevent anastomotic leakage may help decrease the local recurrence rate and improve prognosis.