Colorectal cancer in a group of Iraqi patients

Abstract

Background Colorectal cancer is the second most common internal malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death (after lung cancer).The condition becomes increasingly common after the age of 50.Because it is a common problem in certain areas of the world and because its insidious nature of onset that sometimes is too late when diagnosed, keeping high index of suspicion with developing screening tests that are reliable and easily performed are vital in diagnosis. Objective: To highlight some of the demographic, laboratory, and histopathological criteria of colorectal cancer in a group of Iraqi patients. Methods This study is a descriptive cross sectional study that had enrolled 30 patients with colorectal cancer. The patients included in this study had been selected from those patients who had attended the endoscopic unit / department of medicine at Al-Yarmouk teaching hospital during the period between the 1st of September 2006 to the 1st of September 2007. Patients diagnosed to have colorectal cancer by colonoscopy, and biopsy samples were taken for histopathological study, and blood samples were taken for carcinoembryonic antigen. Results This study revealed that 80% of the patients were older than 50 years of age with a male: female ratio of 2.75:1.63.33% of the patients were smokers. The study revealed that the presentation of the disease is usually insidious with abdominal pain, change in bowel habit and haematochezia and melena seen in 83.34% of the patients. 66.67% of the tumors were located in the rectosigmoid.All the tumors were adenocarcinoma. Carcinoembryonic antigen was +ve in 60% of the patients. Conclusion Colorectal cancer is more common in old male patients with smoking habit.