Colorectal carcinoma presentation and management

Colorectal carcinoma is the most common gastrointestinal tract cancer worldwide. In men, it is the third cancer after lung and prostate cancer, while in women; it is the third common cancer after lung and breast cancer. Despite the clear relationship with aging, colorectal carcinoma is not strictly a disease of elderly and 6-8% of cases occur in patients below 40 years of age. Colorectal cancers are of favorable prognosis provided they are diagnosed and treated in early stage. This study aims to assess the patterns of presentation, distribution, and management of colorectal carcinoma in Gastroenterology and Hepatology Teaching Hospital. From November 2005 to November 2007, 80 patients with colorectal carcinoma 50 males and 30 females were admitted to the Gastroenterology and hepatology center. The age, sex, presentation, modes of investigation, stage of the cancer, treatments as well as complications have been described. Male: female ratio about 1.6:1 with peak age of incidence is 60-69 year age group, 17.5% of cases are below age of 40 most of them were with worse histopathological types and advanced stage. The main presenting symptom was bleeding per rectum 63%.The mean period between onset of presenting symptoms and final diagnosis was 7 months The most common sites were rectum 35%, Fiftythree percent were moderately differentiated, 47.5% were Dukes-C. The study highlights the distribution of colorectal carcinoma, presenting symptoms, modalities of treatment, keeping in mind the increasing incidence of colorectal carcinoma in younger age groups