Características clínicas e histopatológicas de los tumores malignos de colon por localización

BACKGROUND: The colon has two different embryological origins, which is why it can be divided into right and left with different characteristics each one; therefore, neoplastic lesions have a different clinical picture and are also associated with different pathologies. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and histopathological characteristics of malignant colon tumors acording to their location. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive, retrospective study with 94 patients diagnosed with colon cancer. Descriptive statistics were performed with the calculation of frequencies and percentages, and chi-squared tests were calculated. RESULTS: Mean age was 61.3 years, 49 (52.1%) were women; 53 (56.4%) were left-sided and 41 (43.6%) right-sided. The main symptom was hematochezia in 32 (60.4%), in patients with left cancer; and diarrhea in 20 (48.8%), in patients with right-sided colon cancer. The presentation of stage I tumors and polyps, p = 0.044 and p = 0.043, respectively, was more frequent on the right side compared to the left side; in the left, hematochezia (p = 0.001), narrow stools(p = 0.05), and a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (p= 0.036) were more frequent compared to the opposite site. CONCLUSIONS: Stage I and the presence of polyps were more frequent in right-sided cancer compared to left-sided cancer; T2DM, as well as hematochezia and narrow stools were more associated with the left side compared to the right side.