Browsing by Author "Banane, Lucia E."

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    The prevalence and clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer among patients under 50 years of age, in selected hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
    (Hubert Kairuki Memorial University, 2019-11-05) Banane, Lucia E.
    Background: Colorectal cancer is a common surgical diagnosis worldwide. Tanzania's colorectal cancer incidence has increased six times in the past decade. Globally, colorectal cancer is believed to be a disease pre\'alent among old age cohort. Objective: To determine the burden and associated clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer among young adults seen in Dar es Salaam hospitals, Tanzania. Methods: A 5-year retrospective-based study was conducted among biopsy confiim^l colorectal cancer patients at major referral hospital facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Young adults were the target population. A pre-designed clinical sheet was used to collect data on demographic, clinical, radiological as well as histopatholo^ findings. Data were summarized using median (and IQR) for continuous vaiiables and frequency (with proportion by %) for categorical variables. Pearson Chi-square test \vas used to assess the association between variables. Data were analyzed using Epi-Info 7 statistical software. Alpha-level of 5% was set as a limit for type I error. Results: Out of 335 biopsy confirmed colorectal cancer patients analyzed during the study period, 128 patients wei-e <50 years old giving out a prevalence of 38.2 %. Male:female was 1.7:1 in this study population. Rectal bleeding (n= 207, 61.8%), abdominal pains/discomfort (n= 62, 18.5%), change in bowel habits (n= 61, 18.2%) as well as features of bowel obstruction (n=52, 15.5%) were the commonest presenting symptoms and signs in this study population. Majority (75.2%) of patients presented with stages III and IV of their disease state, whth 50 (45.9%) and 32 (29.3%) respectively. About seven in ten (69.5%) of all patients had either moderately or poorly differentiate colorectal cancer cells. Almost all patients (96.7%) had biopsy confiime adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: There is a sharp increase in the reported number of biopsy-confirme CRC among patients younger than 50 years in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, reported in the immediate 5 years period. Recommendations: There is an urgent need for early screening of CRC among younger age groups in the society^ in order to avoid the effects oi" deleterious consequences of the canco", as apart from the increase rise in CRC in younger adults, most are also detected at late stages.