Patients’ Profile, Clinical Presentations and Histopathological Features of Colo-rectal Cancer in Al Hassa Region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Patients’ demographics, presenting clinical and histopathological features for colo-rectal cancer(CRC) are important factors for patients’ outcome and disease prognosis. This study aimed to describe thepattern of CRC in terms of patients’ demographics, main presenting symptoms and histopathological featuresin Al Hassa region of Saudi Arabia. Subjects and
Methods: A retrospective hospital records-based study whichincluded reviewing of patients’ records diagnosed with CRC at three general hospitals in Al Hassa region, SaudiArabia. A compilation form was designed to collect information regarding socio-demographics, age at diagnosis;referral sites and the main presentations at CRC diagnosis. sites and the main presentations at CRC diagnosis.Histopathological reports were reviewed to delineate the main cytopathologic features, prominent cytologicalcharacteristics, the presence of predisposing pathology, and disease stage.
Results: Of the 142 cases with CRC,15.5% and 33.1% were affected before 40 and 50 years of age respectively. Emergency rooms were main referralsites for CRC cases (31.0%). Right colon was affected in 16.9% while left colonic lesions accounted for 62.7%.Intestinal obstruction was the main presentations (41.5%), and 26.1% presented with symptoms indicatingdistant metastastic lesions. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant pathological lesions (86.6%). MetastasticCRC was diagnosed in 62.7%. Duke’s staging showed that 22.5% and 40.1% of lesions were classified into Cand D categories respectively.
Conclusion: Saudi patients with CRC present late with distant metastasis, andadvanced disease stage. A sizeable proportion of patients developed the lesions at relatively young age. Screeningrecommendations should be enacted and revised in response to current change with younger age of affection.