Colorectal Cancer Surgical Pathology: Comparative Study in Lebanon Before and After the Economic Collapse

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Socioeconomics

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and early detection are crucial for reducing mortality.
• Lebanon faced a severe socio-economic crisis in 2020, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting healthcare access.
• Deteriorated medical care access may have delayed CRC diagnosis and treatment in Lebanon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of Lebanon's economic collapse on colorectal cancer (CRC) patient characteristics.
• To compare demographic, clinical, and pathological features of CRC patients operated on before (2018-2019) and after (2020-2021) the economic crisis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 169 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection.
• Patients were divided into pre-crisis (2018-2019) and post-crisis (2020-2021) groups.
• Comparison of demographic, clinical, and pathological characteristics between the two groups.

Main Results:

• In the post-crisis period, 47% of patients (80/169) were operated on, compared to 53% (89/169) pre-crisis.
• A higher proportion of patients presented with clinical complications requiring urgent admission post-crisis (30% vs. 16%).
• Tumors were more advanced post-crisis, with increased T4b classification (10% vs. 2%) and higher rates of lymphatic, perineural, and perivascular invasion.

Conclusions:

• The economic crisis in Lebanon has led to a worsening of clinical and pathological indicators for colorectal cancer patients.
• These negative changes suggest a potential reduction in patient survival rates.
• Urgent interventions are needed to mitigate the impact of the crisis on CRC patient outcomes.