AIM:To perform a review of patients with colorectal cancerto a community hospital and to compare the risk-adjustedsurvival between patients managed in general surgical unitsversus a colorectal unit.METHODS:The study evaluated all patients with colorectalcancer referred to either general surgical units or a colorectalunit from 1/1996 to 6/2001.These results were comparedto a historical control group treated within general surgicalunits at the same hospital from 1/1989 to 12/1994.A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis compared the overall survivals (all-cause mortality) between the groups.A Cox proportionalhazards model was used to determine the influence of anumber of independent variables on survival.These variablesincluded age,ASA score,disease stage,emergency surgery,adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy,diseaselocation,and surgical unit.RESULTS:There were 974 patients involved in this study.There were no significant differences in the demographicdetails for thethree groups.Patients in the colorectal groupwere more likely to have rectal cancer and Stage Ⅰ cancers,and less likely to have Stage Ⅱ cancers.Patients treated inthe colorectal group had a significantly higher overall 5-yearsurvival when compared with the general surgical groupand the historical control group (56 % versus 45 % and40 % respectively,P<0.01).Survival regression analysisidentified age,ASA score,disease stage,adjuvantchemotherapy,and treatment in a colorectal unit (Hazardsratio:0.67;95 % CI:0.53 to 0.84,P =0.0005),as significantindependent predictors of survival.CONCLUSION:The results suggest that there may be asurvival advantage for patients with colon and rectal cancersbeing treated within a specialist colorectal surgical unit. AIM: To perform a review of patients with colorectal cancerto a community hospital and to compare the risk-adjustedsurvival between patients managed in general surgical unitsversus a colorectal unit. METHODS: The study evaluated all patients with colorectalcancer referred to either general surgical units or a colorectalunit from 1/1996 to 6 / 2001.These results were compared to a historical control group treated within general surgicalunits at the same hospital from 1/1989 to 12 / 1994. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis compared the overall survivals (all-cause mortality) between the groups. A Cox proportionalhazards model was used to determine the influence of anumber of independent variables on survival.These variablesincluded age, ASA score, disease stage, emergency surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and / or radiotherapy, disease location, and surgical unit .RESULTS: There were 974 patients involved in this study.There were no significant differences in the demographic details for thethree groups.Patients in the colorectal groupwere more likely to have rectal cancer and Stage I cancers, and less likely to have Stage II cancers. Patients treated with colorectal group had a significantly higher overall 5-yearsurvival when compared with the general surgical group and the historical control group (56% versus 45% and 40% respectively, P <0.01). Survival regression analysis identified age, ASA score, disease stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, and treatment in a colorectal unit (Hazards ratio: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.53 to 0.84, P = 0.0005), as The significant suggest dependent onors of survival