Adenocarcinoma of the cecum: natural history and clinical patterns of recurrence following radical surgery.

One hundred and forty-three patients with previously untreated primary adenocarcinomas of the cecum were analyzed. Fifty-three patients manifesting disseminated disease at diagnosis were analyzed to define mechanisms of disease spread. Ninety patients were analyzed following attempted curative resection to determine anatomical distribution of initial clinical recurrences. Twenty-eight patients recurred (31%), of whom 9 underwent a second laparotomy. Nineteen of the 28 patients who recurred (68%) demonstrated an initial pattern of relapse clinically confined to the abdomen, liver, and retroperitoneum. Analysis was performed to determine the influence of stage and grade of the primary tumor on prognosis. Implications for adjuvant therapy are discussed.