Analysis of prognostic factors in colorectal carcinoma

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies in development countries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiologic profiles of the disease, to examine the results of survival at five years after diagnosis and how it was influenced by pathological aspects.

In collaboration with Oncologic Clinic all colorectal cancer diagnosed from January 2002 to December 2006 were included in the study. Medical records of patients were retrieved and we note: age, residence, diagnosis date, grade, and stage and histology variables. Then were analyzed prognosis and survival at 5 years of patients related to these parameters.

A total of 238 patients with colorectal cancer were identified. The average age at diagnosis was 63.3 years and more than half of cases were men (59%). By the end of the follow-up period 103 patients had died, 66.1% of them representing colon cancer. When analyzing the survival length according to tumor location at the end of the study, we found that are no significant differences between survivals in colic tumors compared to the rectum--53.9 months for right colon, 51.4 months for left colon and 49.5 months for rectum. The majority of tumors were grade II moderately-differentiated tumors 48.7% (116 of cases), and patients with grade I had the best survival, on average of 84.52 months. Tubular forms of colorectal cancer had the best percentage of five years survival (55.81%) being also the highest rate of survival (45.24% months).

Factors that contribute to a favorable prognosis in colorectal cancer are tubular microscopic form, disease diagnosed in TNM stage I and II, GI and GII grading.