Quality measures for colorectal cancer (2018 Data)

Project Reference number – 0067

Principal Investigator – Eva Morris

Plain language summary - The UK Colorectal Cancer Intelligence Hub (the Hub) produces annual bowel cancer metrics covering the English NHS. These metrics count the number, type and results of bowel cancer operations.  They indicate changes in the way bowel cancer is treated and managed, together with outcomes for patients. Using data up to 2018, the Hub will produce nine metrics:  

• Major resection rate – how many patients undergo surgery to remove the part of their bowel containing the bowel cancer.  
• 30-day post-operative mortality – how many patients die within 30 days of undergoing their surgery. 
• Laparoscopic resection rate – how many of the operations are done by ‘keyhole’ surgery.  
• Length of stay – the number of patients who experience an unexpectedly long stay in hospital following bowel cancer surgery. 
• APE (Abdominoperineal excision of rectum) rate – the number of operations undertaken to remove bowel cancer that remove the lower part of the bowel, the back passage and the muscles that control the bowels. 
• Unplanned readmission rate – how many patients need to be unexpectedly readmitted to hospital after their discharge following the stay in which they had their major resection.  
• Stoma rate at 18 months – how many patients still have a stoma 18 months after their operation.  A stoma is an opening in the tummy which allows poo to be collected in a pouch (bag) on the outside of the body. 
• Liver resection rate – how many operations are done to remove bowel cancer that has spread to the liver.
• Lung resection rate – how many operations are done to remove bowel cancer that has spread to the lungs.