Journal
CANCER MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
Volume 13, Issue -, Pages 7697-7707Publisher
DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD
DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S334226
Keywords
colon; rectum; colorectal cancer; GIT malignancy
Categories
Funding
- Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health, US Department of State's Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC)
- President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) [1R25TW011213]
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) was found to have a prevalence of 9.3% among patients hospitalized with lower gastrointestinal complaints in a tertiary health facility in Uganda. The study showed a higher incidence of CRC in women, with the rectum being the most common site for CRC. Awareness creation and screening programs are recommended to enable early diagnosis of CRC in this setting.
Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common type of gastrointestinal malignancies and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both sexes worldwide. Although the burden of CRC is highest in developed countries, reports are indicating a rise in the incidence of early-onset CRC in developing countries. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of CRC among patients hospitalized with lower gastrointestinal complaints at a tertiary health facility in Uganda. Methods: We conducted a 10-year retrospective chart review of patients admitted to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2020. We reviewed all charts of patients admitted to the lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT) ward. Charts with grossly missing data, pediatric patients, and those from other non-lower GIT specialties were excluded. Results: Data of 1476 unique eligible patients were analyzed. Of these,138 had a diagnosis of CRC (prevalence: 9.3%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 6.5-11.7%). Among patients with CRC, the female:male ratio was 1:1. The most common site for CRC was the rectum (59.8%, n= 79). For the 138 participants with CRC, 44 had staging data with 72.8% (n=32) having advanced disease, that is, stage 3 or 4. Factors independently associated with CRC were age >= 50 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 4.3, 95% CI: 2.6-7.1, p < 0.001), female sex (aOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2 -2.8, p = 0.005), being widowed (aOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.3-5.0, p = 0.006), and presence of any risk factor for CRC (aOR: 5.3, 95% CI: 2.9-9.9, p < 0.001). Conclusion: CRC is relatively common among patients hospitalized with lower GIT complaints, particularly among women and those with known risk factors for CRC. Awareness creation and screening programs should be instituted to allow early diagnosis of CRC in our setting.
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