Not only histological grade but endoscopic finding, iron deficiency, weight loss, and change in bowel habits refer to advanced stage of colorectal carcinoma

Introduction: Despite the world-wide tendency, the incidence of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in Hungary has been increasing continuously without any favourable change in the mortality rate considering an advanced stage of the tumors at the time of the diagnosis.

Aims: The aim of our study was to determine whether are there any clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, and histological factors which can predict the Dukes' stages of the CRC, therefore can be prognostic markers of the disease.

Patients and methods: Clinical symptoms, laboratory parameters (serum cholesterol, triglicerid, liver function tests, hemoglobin, C reactive protein, iron level and CEA), colonoscopic findings, and the pre- and postoperative histological findings of the colorectal cancer of 98 patients diagnosed between March 2007 and September 2008at the First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, were assessed. One way ANOVA, Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis and p values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: The average age of the patients at the diagnosis of CRC was 66 years. Distributions of the CRC by Dukes'stage were: A:6, B1:16, B2:32, C1:23, C2:21. Significant correlation was detected between the Dukes' stage of the CRC and the serum iron level, colonoscopic severity score, histological differentiation, and weight loss and changes in the bowel habits out of the clinical features.

Conclusion: According to our result, serum iron level proved to be the best prognostic laboratory parameter in CRC. Weight loss and changes in the bowel habits referred to an advanced process. The stage of the cancer can be judged well on the basis of the severity of the endoscopic findings.