Predictors of Survival Among Colorectal Cancer Patients in a Low Incidence Area

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in Saudi Arabia. The best therapeutic regimen for colorectal cancer is a matter of ongoing debate and data on its treatment in Saudi Arabia are limited. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to explore the predictors of survival and to compare the risk of mortality among colorectal cancer patients treated with different therapeutic modalities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study utilized data from the electronic colorectal cancer registry of a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the survival rates over 36 months of follow-up across rectal and colon cancer patients as well as different sociodemographic and medical characteristics. Bivariate and multiple Cox proportional-hazards regressions were conducted to estimate the risk of mortality among rectal and colon cancer patients undergoing different treatments. RESULTS: The number of patients in the registry who were followed up for 36 months was 143 patients. The majority of patients had colon cancer (74.13%). Rectal cancer patients had generally better survival estimates compared to their colon cancer counterparts. Colon cancer patients treated with chemotherapy had a significantly lower risk of mortality controlling for the use of surgery, radiotherapy, and other variables including age, gender, stage of cancer, and family history of colorectal cancer (HR=0.33; P=0.03). Additionally, colon cancer patients with a family history of colorectal cancer had significantly higher risk of mortality (HR=3.40; P=0.02). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the value of chemotherapy in managing colon cancer patients.