Clinico-pathological study of colorectal carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) ranks as the fourth most frequent cancer in men (after lung, prostate and stomach cancer), and third in women (after cancers of breast and uterine cervix).Adenocarcinoma of the colon is the most common malignancy of the GI tract and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is also one of the most common cancers in Nepal. METHODS A descriptive study was conducted in a Kathmandu based Hospital. This study included 50 cases of colorectal carcinoma diagnosed on colonoscopic/sigmoidoscopic biopsies over a period of two years. RESULTS A total of 50 patients were studied out of these, 29 (58%) patients were male, whereas 21 (42%) were with male:female ratio of 1.3:1. Age ranged was from 20 years to 80 years. Maximum number of cases were observed between the ages of 61-70 years. The most common histological type of colorectal carcinoma was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and seen in 37(74%) cases. Left sided tumor constituted 40 (80%) cases of all tumors and rectum was the predominant site with 26 (52%) cases followed by sigmoid colon with 7 (14%) cases. CONCLUSIONS Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is not an uncommon disease in this part of the world. The use of sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy along with biopsy when required should be encouraged as a screening program for colorectal carcinoma in an elderly age group for the detection of CRC at an earlier stage.