Epidemiological and anatomopathological profile of colorectal cancer in Northern Morocco between 2017 and 2019

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. CRC represents a major public health problem in many countries, and its incidence is increasing worldwide. In Morocco, CRC is the third most common cancer. However, epidemiological data on CRC in Morocco, especially in the north, are very limited. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of CRC in northern Morocco.

This retrospective study was conducted at the Ahmed Ben Zayed Al Nahyan Regional Oncology Center of Tangier between April 2017 and December 2019. Data were collected from the medical records of confirmed CRC patients and analyzed using SPSS computer software version 23.

CRC was detected in 142 patients, accounting for 13.0 % of all cancers identified during the study period in the center. The sex ratio (male/female) of all patients was 1.1. The mean age was 58 years, and the most affected group was 60-69 years old (29.0 %). The rectum was the most common anatomical site (44.0 %) compared to the left and right colon. Histologically, adenocarcinomas were the most common type (91.3 %), half of the tumors were moderately differentiated, and only 4.9 % of the patients presented with poorly differentiated tumors. At diagnosis, 83.0 % of patients were already in advanced stages (stage III, or IV), including 40.3 % presenting with metastatic disease. The liver (64.8 %) was the most affected site by metastasis in our series. Relapse was observed in 11.9 % of patients.

Our results showed a younger age at diagnosis and a higher incidence of cancer at the rectal site compared to the Western literature, as well as a high frequency of patients who presented with late-stage disease and other characteristics. However, larger multicenter studies are still needed to confirm our results.