Pathological study of colorectal carcinoma in adult Nigerians: a study of 45 cases.

BACKGROUND

A 12-year (1st Jan. 1990-31st Dec. 2001) retrospective study of 45 colorectal carcinomas was carried out the in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) based on age, sex, clinical presentation, anatomical sites, histological types and clinical stages.

METHODS

All the histological slides from surgical specimen obtained from the large intestine and diagnosed as colorectal carcinoma were reviewed in Anatomical Pathology Department of UPTH, Port Harcourt. The age, sex, sites and histological types were extracted from the request forms and reports while the clinical presentation and staging were obtained from the case notes.

RESULTS

A total of 34 (75.6%) and 11 (24.4%) occurred in males and females respectively, giving a sex ratio of 3:1. The least age of occurrence was a 22 year old male and the oldest was a 82 year old male. The highest frequency (28.9%) occurred in the age group 50-59 years which is a decade earlier than the Caucasians. Majority of our patients (33.3%) presented with either diarrhoea or constipation (altered bowel habit). The commonest site of this cancer is the rectum and the least occurred in the transverse colon. Most of our patients presented with advanced cancer of stage IV & III of TNM classification (D and C of Astler-Coller System). The tumours were also histologicially graded into well moderately and undifferentiated type.

CONCLUSION

Colorectal carcinoma is one of commonest malignancies that occurs in young and middle aged in this environment. Patients present when the tumour is in an advanced stage hence poorer prognosis and the ages of the patents is about 10 years earlier than that of Caucasians.