Epidemiology of colorectal cancer in patients admitted to Imam Reza hospital in Kermanshah from 2006 to 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological features of colorectal cancer in Imam Reza hospital in Kermanshah, Iran, in a five-year period.

This cross-sectional study included all the patients (N=167) admitted to Imam Reza hospital in Kermanshah over a five-year period, diagnosed with colorectal cancer through performing colonoscopy and confirming via pathology. The census sampling was applied, and the data collection tool was a questionnaire on demographic variables, smoking history, and family history of cancer in immediate relatives. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics of frequencies and ratios, and the statistical tests of t-test and chi-square.

The mean age of the patients was 58.67±14.31 years old (14-87 years), and 12 % of the patients were under 40 years old. The majority of the patients (52.1%) were males, but no significant difference was found between the two genders in terms of age (P=0.939). The rectum (31.1%), the sigmoid colon (20.4 %), and the ascending colon (18.6%) were the most common tumor sites. Colon adenocarcinoma (96.4%) was the most common reported pathology, 30.5 % of the patients were cigarette smokers, and abdominal pain (22%) was the most common complaint on admission.

Given the results of the present study, it is highly recommended that comprehensive studies should be conducted on screening colorectal cancer in high risk populations in order to reduce the incidence and prevalence of the disease and treat it more effectively based on early diagnosis.