Clinical and Histopathological Characteristics of Colorectal Cancer in Iraq between 2015-2021

Colorectal cancer (C.R.C.) is the commonest malignancy in the gastrointestinal tract and is the fourth leading reason behind cancer-associated death in the world. It usually begins with the non-cancerous proliferation of mucosal epithelial cells. These growths are polyps and might grow gradually for 10-20 years before becoming cancerous. This study was designed to investigate the epidemiology of the diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer from 2015 to 2021 in Baghdad. A total of 60 cases of different colorectal cancer samples were collected from Medical City Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, and private labs. Clinical information was also collected, including patients' age, tumor size, gender and location, pathological grade, and stage. Results revealed a high incidence of C.R.C. in patients aged 60-90 years for the rate of 40.3%, with a high frequency in the left colon of 59.6%. The dominant tumor size was 5cm in malignant cases, and a high incidence of C.R.C. was seen in the female by 52.0%. While the most frequent tumor stage was stage I.I.A., with a rate of 59.6%, and moderately differentiated was the foremost one with 67.3% (P≤0.05). The most common type of C.R.C. in Iraq is adenocarcinoma, which occurs in patients older than 60years and presented at the I.I.A. stage of disease with moderate tumor grade. Early disease detection and diagnosis are effective in its control and treatment.