Correlation between clinical features, medical history, and lifestyle factors with colorectal cancer stage.

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a significant public health burden, with patient prognosis largely determined by the stage at diagnosis. Various factors, including modifiable lifestyle habits, may influence the disease stage at presentation.

AIMS: This study aimed to identify factors correlated with advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages of CRC at diagnosis.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study over five years in the general surgery department of Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia. The study included patients who underwent surgery for adenocarcinoma-like CRC.

RESULTS

Our study included 169 patients, with an average age of 62.57 years and a male predominance. Smoking was reported in 51% of cases, and alcohol consumption in 45.9%. Stage II was the most prevalent stage in our cohort (34.9%). Smoking (p < 0.001), alcohol consumption (p = 0.005), obesity (p = 0.026), anemia (p = 0.038), and the presence of an abdominal mass (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with advanced stages of CRC. While not statistically significant, male gender also appeared to be associated with advanced forms of CRC (p = 0.059).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that alcohol and tobacco consumption are associated with later diagnosis or may accelerate disease progression. This observed correlation with advanced stages suggests potential mechanisms without claiming direct causation. Implementing public health measures to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption could decrease the likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced CRC.