The Trend Towards the Right (Proximal) Shift of Colorectal Cancer: Is Not Observed in Sudanese Patients

Background: There is a tendency of colorectal cancer towards a right shift, and increasing incidence among the young age groups. In this study, we aimed to assess the pattern of colorectal cancer among Sudanese patients attending an endoscopy unit in Omdurman Teaching Hospital. Subjects and Methods: This descriptive crosssectional study conducted among thirty patients referred with the provisional diagnosis of colorectal cancer during the period from August 2015 to June 2016. Participants signed a written informed consent then interviewed to collect demographic data, symptoms related to carcinoma of the colon, the patients were then examined for evidence of anemia, intestinal obstruction, and ascites, colonoscopy with biopsy for histopathology was done. The ethical committee of the Omdurman Teaching Hospital approved the research, and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Results; Out of thirty patients with the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, their ages ranged from 18-76 years with a mean of 51.1. The commonest presentations were rectal bleeding, change in the bowel habits, and constipation in 90%, 80%, and 60% respectively. Fourteen (46.7% were ≤ 50 years. The family history of colorectal cancer was evident in 16.7%, the recto-sigmoid area was the commonest site (83.3%), with 100% adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: Colorectal cancer tend to affect the younger age groups, the majority were recto-sigmoid (the proximal shift was not observed). The adenocarcinoma was the commonest histopathology.