[Management Of Rectum Cancers In A Country With Limited Resources].

OBJECTIVE

was to report the difficulties of rectal cancer management in a country with limited resources.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of the records of patients aged 15 and over, operated on in the general surgery department for histologically proven rectal cancer from January 2018 to December 2022.

RESULTS

The incidence of rectal cancer was 29.27%. The mean age of patients was 46.13 +/-12.74 years. The sex ratio was 1.4 in favor of women. The average consultation time was 9 months. The tumor was accessible by digital rectal examination in 75% of cases. Rectoscopy was performed in only 12 patients (50%). Abdominal CT scans were performed in 25% of patients, and revealed metastases in 16.6%. All patients underwent surgery, including abdominoperineal amputation in 50% of cases, bypass colostomy in 37.5% and anterior resection of the rectum in 12.5%. Histological examination of biopsies and operative specimens confirmed a Frekhunian adenocarcinoma of the rectum in 23 patients (95.83%) and transitional cell carcinoma of the lower rectum in one patient. Six patients (25%) had received postoperative chemotherapy. No patient received radiotherapy. Survival at 24 months was 25%.

CONCLUSION

Accessibility to modern means of diagnosis and radiotherapy could improve prognosis.