title: Patients' profile, clinical presentations and histopathological features of colo-rectal cancer in Al Hassa region, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients' demographics, presenting clinical and histopathological features for colo-rectal cancer (CRC) are important factors for patients' outcome and disease prognosis. This study aimed to describe the pattern of CRC in terms of patients' demographics, main presenting symptoms and histopathological features in Al Hassa region of Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective hospital records-based study which included reviewing of patients' records diagnosed with CRC at three general hospitals in Al Hassa region, Saudi Arabia. A compilation form was designed to collect information regarding socio-demographics, age at diagnosis; referral sites and the main presentations at CRC diagnosis. sites and the main presentations at CRC diagnosis. Histopathological reports were reviewed to delineate the main cytopathologic features, prominent cytological characteristics, the presence of predisposing pathology, and disease stage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 142 cases with CRC, 15.5% and 33.1% were affected before 40 and 50 years of age respectively. Emergency rooms were main referral sites for CRC cases (31.0%). Right colon was affected in 16.9% while left colonic lesions accounted for 62.7%. Intestinal obstruction was the main presentations (41.5%), and 26.1% presented with symptoms indicating distant metastatic lesions. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant pathological lesions (86.6%). Metastatic CRC was diagnosed in 62.7%. Duke's staging showed that 22.5% and 40.1% of lesions were classified into C and D categories respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Saudi patients with CRC present late with distant metastasis, and advanced disease stage. A sizeable proportion of patients developed the lesions at relatively young age. Screening recommendations should be enacted and revised in response to current change with younger age of affection.
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. amin55@myway.com
authors.forename: Tarek Tawfik
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Waseem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Suleman
authors.forename: Abdul Aziz
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al Taissan
authors.forename: Abdul Latif
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Al Joher
authors.forename: Othman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Al Mulhim
authors.forename: Abdul Hameed
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Al Yousef
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000556:secondary*; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000556:secondary*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000556:secondary*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D055815:Young Adult