Socioeconomic Position in Acute Colorectal Cancer Surgery

Acute colon cancer surgery has a poor 90-day mortality of 21.0% compared with only 3% after elective colorectal cancer surgery in Denmark. The high mortality after acute colon cancer surgery compared with elective surgery emphasizes the importance of identifying factors associated with acute onset and poor short-term survival after acute surgery. Socioeconomic position has previously showed to be a risk factor for acute versus elective onset of colorectal cancer. Furthermore, if patients with low socioeconomic position have higher postoperative mortality this could reflect differences in the treatment of patients according to their socioeconomic position.
The aim of the clinical study is:
1. To examine if patients with short education, low income, living alone, or living in rural areas are more likely to undergo acute colorectal cancer surgery than elective surgery compared with patients with longer educations, higher income, living with a partner, or living in urban areas.
2. To examine if there is an association between education, income, cohabitation, or urbanicity and 1-year mortality after acute colorectal cancer surgery.