The authors analyze a consecutive series of 219 patients affected by complicated colorectal cancer who underwent surgery in emergency. In hospital mortality, 5-year survival and recurrenceās incidence in 104 of these patients who underwent curative treatment are calculated and compared with a series of 701 patients who underwent elective surgical treatment. There was no significative statistical difference between emergency and elective group. At the multivariate analysis only the stage of the tumour was an independent prognostic factor.