Abdul Rahman Sibiani, Mahmoud Shaheen, Hind I Fallatah, Hisham O Akbar, Yousif A Qari, Salim Bazaraa, Adnan Merdad, Fatema Al-Thubaity.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks first in males and third in females among all cancers in Saudi Arabia. Its frequency of diagnosis has increased significantly over the past ten years. Genetic and environmental factors may have played important roles in the increase in CRC incidence in Saudi Arabia. Using a retrospective study, we studied all patients diagnosed with CRC by endoscopy at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. For each patient, we collected demographic data, endoscopic findings, hemoglobin results, CEA levels at diagnosis, radiological findings and methods of treatment offered. We included 177 patients in the final analysis. The sample comprised mostly males 103 (58.2%), and 72 (40.0%) were Saudis. The mean age was 56.6±SD 13.3 years old. Male patients were older than female patients (P=.046). Approximately onethird of all patients were younger than 50 years old (50 patients). Most of the patients 164 (92.7%) had a single lesion on the left side rectum (52, 29.4), sigmoid (41,23.2%) and rectosigmoid (46, 26%). We reported lymph node involvement in 90 (50.8%) patients and distant metastasis (DM) in 50 (28.2%) patients. The carcinoembryonic antigen was higher in patients with DM P <.001. A total of 168 patients received chemotherapy or had a hemicolectomy for the tumor. We reported tumor recurrence in 27 (15.3%) patients. The mean survival was 4.832±.44 years. In conclusion, the diagnosis and prevalence of CRC is increasing in Saudi Arabia. As such, CRC screening programs are recommended for both the prevention and early detection of CRC.
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