Review of epidemiological and clinical characteristics and overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

Backgound and Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has high incidence, is often treatable and curable if diagnosed early. This study aimed to identify the epidemiological characteristic and assess overall survival in patients with CRC treated at a center specializing in oncology. Methods: Medical records of 127 patients with CRC were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics, in addition to treatment protocols and adverse reactions presented by patients were reviewed. The association of significance was assessed by chi-square and Fisher exact tests. The survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The confidence interval was of 95% (p <0.05). Results: The mean age of patients was 60.4 years, and men were the most often affected by the disease. The survival rate at 5 years was 19.4%, being mainly influenced by the chemotherapy protocol and the presence of metastases. Conclusion: Patients with early-stage disease and that had no metastasis showed better survival prognosis. These data emphasize the importance of performing sporadic screenings, mainly in patients older than 50 years, aiming at early diagnosis of CRC and better treatment response.