Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer patients

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent malignant tumor and the second leading cause of mortality, following bronchopulmonary cancer. The aim of our study was to evaluate demographic, clinical, and paraclinical data in patients with colorectal cancer, to find prognostic markers. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study, including 204 patients with colorectal cancer who were admitted in the Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, from January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2024. Results: We identified a slight male predominance (54% versus 46%) and an average age of 67 years. However, a significant percentage of patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer before the age of 50 years (11%). Regarding harmful behaviors, 24% of patients were smokers, and only 2.5% confirmed chronic alcohol use. The most common comorbidity of patients in our study was hypertension (65.7%), followed by obesity (43%) and diabetes (24%). The sigmoid colon was identified as the predilection location of colorectal cancer through endoscopic evaluation. The most common histopathological type was NOS adenocarcinoma (76.5%), followed by mucinous adenocarcinoma (16.7%). Most patients (77%) had moderately differentiated tumors (grade G2). The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.5%, and the average duration of hospitalization was 14.51 days. Conclusions: It is imperative to raise public awareness regarding the risk of colorectal cancer, to encourage the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and to facilitate the implementation of novel strategies to manage this condition.