Obstructing carcinoma of the cecum.

Carcinoma of the cecum, the third most common location for malignancy of the large bowel, was examined with attention centered upon cecal cancers producing obstruction. Reviewing 136 patients revealed 11 obstructing lesions (8.1%) presenting as distal small bowel obstructions. The mean age of the patients was 74 years. All but one patient had resection for cure which consisted of a right hemicolectomy with ileotransverse colostomy. There was no operative mortality or significant morbidity. Bowel obstruction due to cecal carcinoma is an infrequent occurrence arising in elderly patients and carries a poor survival rate due to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and treatment.