Patients who have major surgery are almost twice as likely to survive for two years as those who do not undergo surgery, according to analysis.
The two year survival rate for patients who have major surgery for bowel cancer is 80% while those who don't receive surgery have a 43% survival rate, the figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed.
Emergency admissions continued to stand at 21% of cases, with a 16% risk of death for patients within 90 days of their surgery.
The figures also revealed the two year mortality rate in England and Wales was 24%, with mortality figures for Wales being higher at 27.5%, although the report warned this may be due to a lack of detailed data.
The figures also found that 66% of colon cancer patients and 80% of rectal cancer patients are still in hospital five days after a resection operation.
There were variations of more than 20% between the best and worst performing hospitals, in Lancashire and South Cumbria 78% of patients were still in hospital five days after surgery while in Wessex 54% of patients were in hospital five days after surgery.
Keyhole surgery rate have increased with 45% of resection operations being keyhole operations now, up from 25% in 2008-9.
Nigel Scott consultant colorectal surgeon at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust and audit clinical lead said: "The National Bowel Cancer Audit continues to make a contribution to understanding and improving the patient journey for bowel cancer.
"Bowel cancer treatment requires a multi-disciplinary team approach to successfully manage and treat patients. It is a great credit to the hospital teams of surgeons, nurses, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and many other professionals that 80% of resected cancer patients are surviving to two years.
"Variation in outcome between health units offers a possible insight into how practice might influence outcomes. For example, the substantial regional variation in the percentage of patients still in hospital five days after resection could have significant consequences for hospital expenditure in the NHS."
