Association of patient comorbidities with colorectal cancer site as detected by computed tomography scan and colonoscopy: A retrospective study

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third most common cancer worldwide. The most prevalent site is sigmoid. Comorbidities are common in patients with CRC and may be an important prognostic factor. This study investigated the prevalence of comorbidities among patients with CRC and assessed the association between the number of comorbidities and various factors including age, tumor site, smoking status, cancer stage, and mortality. This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with cancer at our hospital between January 2018 and November 2021. The association between comorbid illnesses (diabetes mellitus and hypertension) and patient characteristics such as sex, marital status, and smoking status was evaluated. The impacts of comorbid illnesses on CRC diagnosis and outcomes (cancer stage, primary site, and patient status) were analyzed. A chi-square test was performed to assess the relationship between sex, marital status, smoking status, and the presence of comorbid conditions (diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension). The majority of patients had at least 1 comorbid illness. A higher proportion of males had comorbid conditions compared to females. The proportion of patients with an early-stage cancer was higher among those without comorbidities. The proportion of surviving patients was higher among those without comorbidities, suggesting that patients with comorbid conditions may have an increased risk of death. The sigmoid colon was the most common site for colon cancer. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity followed by diabetes mellitus. Almost 50% of patients with CRC were smokers.