Higher prevalence in young population and rightward shift of colorectal carcinoma

ABSTRACT

To report the pattern, subsite distribution and histological features of colorectal cancer in a University Hospital in Riyadh. The study was carried out in King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the medical records of patients diagnosed to have colorectal carcinoma were retrieved spanning a 5-year period from 1999 through 2004. The demographic data, primary location and extent of the lesion, and various pathologic characteristics were analyzed. Fifty-seven patients with colorectal carcinoma were included; 45 men and 12 women, age range 21-76 years [mean 44 years]. Thirty-six [63%] subjects were found to be younger than 40 years, whereas 33 [57.8%] cases had right sided and 24 [42.2%] left sided colon cancers. Eighteen [31.5%] patients presented with early [I, II] and 39 [68.5%] with late [III, IV] stage. Dukes B and C were reported in 53 [92.9%] patients and out of those, 30 cases presented with right sided colonic carcinoma. There is a profound rightward shift of colorectal carcinoma compounded with a rising incidence of advanced lesions in younger age group