Hospitals lax in post-colon cancer screens

CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Most U.S. hospitals do not conduct adequate post-colon cancer surgery screenings to determine if the cancer has metastasized, a study reveals.

Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and the American College of Surgeons say most of the nation's hospitals don't check enough lymph nodes after a patient's colon cancer surgery to determine if the disease has spread.

Several oncology organizations recommend a minimum of 12 lymph nodes be examined to determine whether colon cancer has metastasized and to accurately diagnose the stage of cancer. Such information is used in determining whether a patient receives chemotherapy.

The researchers said they found more than 60 percent of nearly 1,300 institutions in the United States fail to comply with the recommendation.

"It's disappointing that despite so much emphasis on this particular issue, so many hospitals still aren't checking enough lymph nodes to ensure they diagnose the accurate stage of cancer," said Dr. Karl Bilimoria, lead author of the report. "Knowing the accurate stage of your disease affects your survival and treatment. That's critical."

The study is detailed in the online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.