colorectal carcinoma in Northern Pakistan: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT

Colorectal carcinoma is an important malignancy which if recognized and diagnosed at an early stage may lead to better prognosis. A total of 3634 cases of malignancy were diagnosed on histopathology in the Pathology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi between 1980-89. Of these 118 patients [3.25%] had malignancy of colorectal region. The majority of patients with colorectal carcinoma were males [65.25%] with a male to female ratio of 1.81.A significant number [29.65%] of colorectal carcinomas were diagnosed in patients who were under 40 years of age. Bleeding per rectum [44%] and intestinal obstruction [24%] were the main presenting complications. The majority [62.71%] arose from the rectum; the rest were from the colon. The most common historical type was well-differentiated to moderately well-differentiated adenocarcinoma [17.19%] followed by mucoid carcinoma [11.02%]. The year wise distribution of cases of colorectal carcinoma revealed an upward trend