Objective: To study the clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer in Guangdong Province.
Methods: Statistical analysis was conducted in the 2 037 cases of colorectal cancer treated in Nanfang Hospital of First Military Medical University from 1986 to 2002.
Results: The patient cohort consisted of 1 165 males (57.19%) and 872 females (42.81%), with a male to female ratio of 1.34 1. The high-risk age range for colorectal cancer was 41-70 years (making up 70.74% of the total patients). The annual number of newly identified patients began to rise in 1994, and the rectum still remained the most frequently involved site (55.87%), but colonic cancer tended to increase (44.13%). Compared with their seniors, young patients (age 40) were prone to be affected by right colonic cancer. Dukes staging showed that most of the patients were in middle or advanced stages (96.17%), and most cases were histologically identified as adenocarcinoma (71.18%), but a poorly differentiated carcinoma was more likely to be found in young patients (35.96%) than in their elders (12.74%).
Conclusion: The incidence of colorectal cancer increases annually and most of the identified cases are in middle or advanced stages. Many young patients have a hereditary predisposition and the knowledge of prevention and self-protection of colorectal cancer is of significant value. Screening and early diagnosis and early treatment may help improve the survival rate among the high risk population.