Background: Colorectal carcinoma is ranked as the second most common cancer diagnosis in females and third in males. It is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Disease burden has been attributed to a myriad of factors comprising genetic, environmental, and dietary factors. Rectal cancer has been shown to demonstrate variance according to the geographical location.
Methods: A retrospective review of 477 rectal cancer patients treated at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre from 2006 to 2014 was performed. Demographic and clinicopathological features were compared between the two age groups (≤40 or >40 years). These included sex, ethnicity, family history of cancer, the location of tumor, clinical staging, histopathological type, and response to chemoradiation. Chi-square was used to compare the frequencies between the two age groups. p-value < 0.05 was taken as significant.
Results: Mean age of the study group was 44.62 ± 16.11 years. 43.8% were ≤40 years of age, and 70.2% were male. 50.3% patients belong to Punjab province, 287 (60.2%) had lower rectal cancer, family history of cancer was present in 82 (17.2%) patients. 432 (90.5%) patients had T1/T2 disease and 296 (62.1%) had N2 disease. Metastatic disease at presentation was observed in 37 (7.8%). Progressive disease was found in 90 (18%) patients.
Conclusion: High frequency of young onset rectal cancers and the lack of family history emphasize the need of indigenous strategies and national awareness of this disease for an early identification of these patients.
Keywords: clinicopathological features; demographics; rectal carcinoma; young age.