Frequency of Colorectal Tumors among Patients Who Underwent Colonoscopy in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ardabil, Iran from November 2008 to September 2010

Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Annually it is the cause of more than 500000 deaths worldwide. Therefore، detection and treatment of these tumors could potentially enhance recovery and improve prognosis. This study determines the frequency of colorectal tumors among patients who underwent colonoscopies in Imam Khomeini Hospital، Ardabil، Iran. This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on 853 patients who underwent colonoscopies in Imam Khomeini Hospital from November 2008 to September 2010. All patients were evaluated for demographic variables، location and size of tumors by a checklist. The collected data were statistically analyzed by tables، graphs and student''s t-test with SPSS v. 16 software. Among 853 patients who were studied، 432 (50. 87%) were females and 419 (49. 13%) were males. Of these، 45. 4% were less than 50 years of age. The most common cause for patient visits were rectal bleeding (34. 5%) and abdominal pain (20. 2%). The most common complaint among patients with colorectal lesions seen in colonoscopies were rectal bleeding (54. 2%)، abdominal pain (18. 75%)، anemia (10. 4%)، diarrhea (8. 3%)، and constipation (8. 3%). Of all colonoscopies performed، 37. 2% were normal. Lesions of the right colon were seen in 27. 08% and 72. 9% were in the left colon. According to results of this study and the frequency in detecting colorectal tumors، the performance of retrospective studies based on disease risk factors could be effective in decreasing future disease cases.