Epidemiological and anatomopathological profile of colorectal cancer: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally, with incidence and mortality rates exhibiting geographical disparities.

Aim: This study aims to outline the pathological profile of CRC.

Setting: The study was conducted in the anatomopathological laboratories of the Souss Massa region (SMR) in Morocco.

Methods: The study examined the epidemiological and anatomopathological profile of CRC among patients diagnosed. We reviewed 238 anatomopathological results during the study period. Fisher’s exact test and analysis of variance were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.

Results: Rectum and sigmoid colon were the most common sites for CRC (76.9%), with adenocarcinomas emerging as the predominant histological variant (93.3%). Most tumours were moderately differentiated (96.6%), with many (83.1%) in advanced stages (T3, T4). The presence of vascular embolism in 31.9% of patients indicates aggressive disease progression. Additionally, the study discerned a slight male dominance (52.9%) in the prevalence of CRC and an average age of 59 among patients. Notably, sex showed a significant association with the manifestation of CRC across various organs (p = 0.028), as did histological types across different organs (p = 0.010). Age-related analysis found older patients (over 50 years) with advanced-stage CRC more frequently.

Conclusion: The histopathological features of these tumours are associated with an alarming delay in diagnosis and a significant presence of vascular embolism in patients.

Contribution: Delay in diagnosis of CRC is significant in the SMR. There is an urgent need to strengthen screening strategies and examine social determinants of health for earlier diagnosis.