Factors Affecting the Time to Start Postoperative Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancers are common tumors and have undergone a great change in the last 20 years in terms of treatment principles. Significantly improved results in local recurrence and overall survival have begun to be obtained with chemotherapy protocols given after surgery, which is the main element of the treatment system (1). It is known that postoperative chemotherapy protocols are commonly given within 6-8 weeks and this period is optimal. However, it was found that this period was prolonged in approximately 20% of these patients in the methanalysis performed (2). It has been shown that delay in applied chemotherapy causes a decrease in overall survival (3,4). The factors causing this delay have not been adequately examined in the literature. It is necessary to investigate these factors that affect the overall survival outcomes, which are the main pillars of treatment principles, and to regulate the factors that have the opportunity to improve.

In this study, our aim is to investigate the perioperative (preop-perop-postop) factors affecting the duration of postoperative chemotherapy initiation in patients with colorectal cancer treated in our hospital.