Biosocial correlates of colorectal cancer in Greece

One hundred consecutive patients with histologically confirmed colorectal cancer and an equal number of age- and sex-matched orthopaedic patients as hospital controls were interviewed about demographic, socioeconomic, biometric and medical variables. Cholecystectomy was significantly more frequent among cases than controls, but there was no side-predilection of the post-cholecystectomy tumours. The frequency of bowel evacuation was significantly higher among cases, particularly those with rectal cancer, an observation which appears contradictory to the 'prolonged bowel transit time--high colorectal cancer risk' hypothesis. No significant differences were found between cases and controls with respect to socioeconomic status, height and weight, smoking habits, use of laxatives and (for females) parity, age at first pregnancy, and age at menopause; however, cases appeared to be younger at menarche.