[Clinical and histopathological characteristics of malignant colon tumors by location]

The colon has two different embryological origins, which is why it can be divided into right and left with different characteristics each one; therefore, neoplastic lesions have a different clinical picture and are also associated with different pathologies.

To describe the clinical and histopathological characteristics of malignant colon tumors acording to their location.

Descriptive, retrospective study with 94 patients diagnosed with colon cancer. Descriptive statistics were performed with the calculation of frequencies and percentages, and chi-squared tests were calculated.

Mean age was 61.3 years, 49 (52.1%) were women; 53 (56.4%) were left-sided and 41 (43.6%) right-sided. The main symptom was hematochezia in 32 (60.4%), in patients with left cancer; and diarrhea in 20 (48.8%), in patients with right-sided colon cancer. The presentation of stage I tumors and polyps, p = 0.044 and p = 0.043, respectively, was more frequent on the right side compared to the left side; in the left, hematochezia (p = 0.001), narrow stools(p = 0.05), and a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (p= 0.036) were more frequent compared to the opposite site.

Stage I and the presence of polyps were more frequent in right-sided cancer compared to left-sided cancer; T2DM, as well as hematochezia and narrow stools were more associated with the left side compared to the right side.