Assessment the Characteristic Features of Colorectal Cancer among Patients Attending Tikrit Teaching Hospital from 2009-2013

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer is a frequent malignant gastrointestinal tumor. The studies in the "Iraqi Cancer Registry" from eighties revealed that the incidence of this cancer in Iraq duplicated up to (2.6%), but six to thirteen percent in the developed countries and higher in industrial countries about seventeen to fifty percent. It is the second cause of death in the western countries; colorectal cancer is ranked, after lung and prostate cancer in male, while it is after breast and lung cancer in females. The disease is frequent among elderly but (6-8%) of patients were 40 years and younger. Colorectal cancers are of favourable prognosis if early diagnosis and treatment provided. This study aims to assess the frequency of colorectal cancer in Tikrit city, to highlight the recently noted increase in frequency among young. Patients and Methods: The current study is cross-sectional study done in January 2014 when all recorded cases of colorectal cancer 2009-2013 involved in the study. It enrolled (172) patients with colorectal cancer chosen as a convenience sample. Data collected from hospital records (records between the 1st of January 2009 to the 31st of December 2013) in statistic unit in Tikrit Teaching Hospital. The demographic information, distribution, presentation, histopathological types and staging have been described. The staging system used in this study was the modified Dukes' staging system (6) . Results: Of the (172) patients involved in this study, 94 patients (54.7%) were males and 78(45.3%) were females with a male: female ratio of (1.2:1), mean age was (51.4) years and peak age of occurrence was (60-69) years age group. The main presenting symptom was abdominal pain (42.4%). The most common site of the tumor was the rectum (35%) and (97.8%) of cancers were adenocarcinomas of which (66.7%) were moderately differentiated. (38%) of cases were at Duke‘s stage B when diagnosed. Conclusion: The study showed an increase colon cancer frequency during the year 2013 compared with previous years, with a notable increase among young adults, high percentage of them presented with advanced and aggressive disease. Recommendations: Increase awareness of population about the importance of colorectal cancer screening to discover a disease at early stage which can be treated completely.