Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32525280›Full record

SynthesisBJS open2020

Meta-analysis of the impact of postoperative infective complications on oncological outcomes in colorectal cancer surgery.

J Lawler, M Choynowski, K Bailey, M Bucholc, A Johnston, M Sugrue

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BJS open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 75 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  15. Anastomotic Leak Following Colorectal Surgery.Clinics in colon and rectal surgery · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

J LawlerDepartment of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0001-5831-0982
M ChoynowskiDepartment of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland.
K BaileyDepartment of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-8086-7872
M BucholcEU INTERREG Centre for Personalized Medicine, Intelligent Systems Research Centre, School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Magee Campus, Derry, /Londonderry, UK.
A JohnstonDepartment of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland.
M SugrueDepartment of Surgery, Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal Clinical Research Academy, Donegal, Ireland.
Letterkenny University Hospital · IEUniversity of Ulster · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer outcomes are complex, involving prevention, early detection and optimal multidisciplinary care. Postoperative infection and surgical site-infection (SSI) are not only uncomfortable for patients and costly, but may also be associated with poor oncological outcomes. A meta-analysis was undertaken to assess the oncological effects of SSI in patients with colorectal cancer.

methodsAn ethically approved PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for studies published between 2007 and 2017 reporting the effects of postoperative infective complications on oncological survival in colorectal cancer. Results were separated into those for SSI and those concerning anastomotic leakage. Articles with a Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies score of at least 18 were included. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 per cent confidence intervals were computed for risk factors using an observed to expected and variance fixed-effect model.

resultsOf 5027 articles were reviewed, 43 met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 154 981 patients. Infective complications had significant negative effects on overall survival (HR 1·37, 95 per cent c.i. 1·28 to 1·46) and cancer-specific survival (HR 2·58, 2·15 to 3·10). Anastomotic leakage occurred in 7·4 per cent and had a significant negative impact on disease-free survival (HR 1·14, 1·09 to 1·20), overall survival (HR 1·34, 1·28 to 1·39), cancer-specific survival (HR 1·43, 1·31 to 1·55), local recurrence (HR 1·18, 1·06 to 1·32) and overall recurrence (HR 1·46, 1·27 to 1·68).

conclusionThis meta-analysis identified a significant negative impact of postoperative infective complications on overall and cancer-specific survival in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Indexed as

Postoperative ComplicationsAnastomotic LeakColorectal NeoplasmsColorectal SurgeryDisease-Free SurvivalHumansSurgical Wound Infection

Identifiers

PMID32525280
PMCPMC7528523
OpenAlexW3033146242

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.