The Clinical and Pathological Features of Colorectal Cancer in Tabuk Region, Saudi Arabia: Trends in the Young and Elderly Patients

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is common in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and worldwide. Tabuk region, in the Northwest part of Saudi Arabia, is one of the regions with the highest incidence of the disease in the Kingdom. Objective: This study aims to compare the clinicopathological features of CRC between the young and elderly patients in Tabuk region. Methods: This is a retrospective, hospital-based, descriptive study conducted at the three main referral hospitals in Tabuk region over 5-year period between 2010 and 2014. All patients diagnosed with CRC proved with histopathology were retrieved and categorized into two groups; group one (less than 40 years of age) and group two (equal to or older than 40 years of age). The clinical and pathological features of the disease were compared between the two groups. Results: The study involved 72 patients 94.4% of whom were Saudi and 5.6% were from the South East population. Group one comprised 10 patients (13.9%) while group two were 62 (86.1%). The male to female ratio was 1.5 for group one and 1.7 for group two. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant histological type in both groups (98.6%). Lefts-sided tumours were more common in both groups (74.2 and 70%) however; a greater proportion of the patients in group 1 had more right-sided tumours (30%) than their elderly counterparts (25.8%). Advanced tumour presentation (Duke`s C+D) was more common in group 1 (90%) than in group 2 (83.8%). However, differences between the two groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion: CRC is less common among the young population in Tabuk region than other parts of Saudi Arabia and some regional countries. Demographic and genetic studies are advocated in the area to provide further explanation of these results.