Clinical-epidemiological profile of right and left colorectal cancer: exploratory study at the university hospital of USP (2012-2018).

INTRODUCTION

Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome associated with systemic inflammation, nutritional deterioration, and poor prognosis in cancer patients. Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, and differences between right- and left-sided tumors may influence clinical outcomes.

METHODS

This retrospective observational cohort study included 69 patients who underwent surgical treatment for colorectal cancer at the University Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo between 2012 and 2018. Patients were classified as cachectic (CC; n = 40) or non-cachectic (WSC; n = 29). Clinical, epidemiological, inflammatory, nutritional, and laboratory variables were compared according to cachexia status, primary tumor location, and survival status.

RESULTS

Cachectic patients presented significantly lower BMI, hemoglobin, and albumin levels, as well as higher CRP concentrations, CRP/albumin ratio, GPS, and mGPS values compared with non-cachectic patients. Cachexia was more frequent among patients with right-sided tumors than among those with left-sided tumors, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Patients who died during follow-up were significantly older than survivors.

DISCUSSION: Cachectic patients with colorectal cancer showed a distinct inflammatory and nutritional profile, supporting the clinical relevance of accessible biomarkers such as CRP, albumin, GPS, and mGPS for patient assessment and risk stratification. Further multicenter studies with larger samples and complete longitudinal follow-up are needed to clarify the prognostic implications of these findings.