The influence of gender on colon cancer stage

To determine if colon cancer stage at diagnosis varies by gender.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study comprising of patients diagnosed with colon cancer from 1990 to 2002 and had their data reported to the TriHealth Tumor Registry, Cincinnati, OH. We classified the colon cancer into one of four stages: carcinoma in situ (CIS), local, regional, and distant disease.

Our cohort consisted of 2891 patients (1467 women and 1424 men). The women with colon cancer were significantly older and more likely to be single or widowed; in addition, more of them were African American (p < 0.05). The men with colon cancer were more likely to smoke tobacco and consume alcohol (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the genders for family history of colon cancer (8.5% vs. 9.6%). We found that women were significantly less likely to have CIS compared with men (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.09-0.85). Women also possessed a nonsignificant decrease in local disease. In contrast, the women showed significantly more regional disease than men (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.06-1.30) and had a non-significant increase in distant disease.

After controlling for multiple variables, at diagnosis and staging of colon cancer, women had more advanced disease than men.