Background/Aims: This study aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer in Turkey.
Materials and Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, and cross-sectional registry study, data for 968 patients with colorectal cancer from 21 centers in 7 geographic regions were analyzed.
Results: Diagnosis was colon cancer in 662 (68.4%) and rectum cancer in 306 (31.6%) patients. In total, 60.9% of patients was male; mean age was 58.9 +/- 12.6 years. Among patients, 15.0% was drinking alcohol, 17.5% was smoking, 1.5% had familial history of polyposis, 15.0% had diabetes mellitus, 1.0% had inflammatory bowel disease. Fruit and vegetable consumption was low (<3 times/week) in 35.5% and red meat consumption was high (>= 3 times/week) in 47.4% of the patients. Median time-to diagnosis was 3.0 months and 4.0 months for patients with colon and rectum cancer, respectively. Mean body mass index was >25 in all group of patients. Distal rectum (61.3%) and sigmoid colon (36.8%) were the most common locations of cancer, for rectum and colon respectively. In total, 85.6% of patients were operated; 25.8% had emergency surgery. Low anterior resection rate was 64.2% in rectum cancer. In majority (89.8%) of the patients with rectum cancer who received preoperative treatment, conventional chemo-radiotherapy regimen was given. pTNM staging at diagnosis showed that stage III and IV patients were in majority (35.9% and 29.7%, respectively).
Conclusion: Colon cancer is more frequent than rectum cancer in Turkey. Colorectal cancer patients are diagnosed at later stages. Most of the cases were operated. Interregional differences for risk factors are worthwhile for evaluation in future trials.
C1 [Aykan, Nuri Faruk] Istanbul Univ Inst Oncol, Dept Med Oncol, Istanbul, Turkey.
[Yalcin, Suayib] Hacettepe Univ Med Oncol, Dept Med Oncol, Ankara, Turkey.
[Turhal, N. Serdar] Marmara Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Istanbul, Turkey.
[Ozdogan, Mustafa] Akdeniz Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Antalya, Turkey.
[Demir, Gokhan] Istanbul Bilim Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Istanbul, Turkey.
[Ozkan, Metin] Erciyes Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Kayseri, Turkey.
[Yaren, Arzu] Pamukkale Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Denizli, Turkey.
[Camci, Celalettin] Gaziantep Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Gaziantep, Turkey.
[Akbulut, Hakan] Ankara Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Ankara, Turkey.
[Artac, Mehmet] Selcuk Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Konya, Turkey.
[Meydan, Nezih] Adnan Menderes Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Aydin, Turkey.
[Uygun, Kazim] Kocaeli Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Kocaeli, Turkey.
[Isikdogan, Abdurrahman] Dicle Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
[Unsal, Diclehan] Gazi Univ Fac Med, Dept Radiat Oncol, Ankara, Turkey.
[Ozyilkan, Ozgur] Baskent Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Adana, Turkey.
[Arican, Ali] Inonu Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Malatya, Turkey.
[Seyrek, Ertugrul] Mersin Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Icel, Turkey.
[Tekin, Salim Basol] Ataturk Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Erzurum, Turkey.
[Manavoglu, Osman] Uludag Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Bursa, Turkey.
[Ozet, Ahmet] Gulhane Mil Med Acad Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Ankara, Turkey.
[Elkiran, Tamer] Firat Univ Fac Med, Dept Med Oncol, Elazig, Turkey.
[Disci, Rian] Istanbul Univ, Inst Oncol, Dept Canc Epidemiol & Biostat, Istanbul, Turkey.