Therapeutic Characteristics, Chemotherapy-Related Toxicities and Survivorship in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is a major healthproblem around the globe. In Morocco, the disease ranks third afterbreast and lung cancers. This study is the first in Morocco toinvestigate epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic features whileexhaustively describing toxic side-effects to chemotherapy of CRCand studying the 3-years survivorship.

METHODS: This is a descriptive and analytical retrospective studyof about 290 patients with CRC enrolled during the period ofJanuary-December 2013. Statistical analysis was performed tocorrelate clinicopathological data with chemotherapy toxicity andsurvivorship in patients, by Chi 2 test. Overall Survival (OS) rate hasbeen calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared usingLog-rank test.

RESULTS: Fifty-five percent had a tumor localized in rectum, and42,8% in colon. Mean age of these patients at diagnosis was 56,16 ±14,6. incidence rate of adverse events (grade I to IV) was 85,6%.Diarrhea was the predominant toxicity (4.6%) occurring at a highgrade (grade III-IV).The 3-years OS rate of patients with CRC was 71%. OS decreased byage, and patients with age subgroup between 40 to 59 years had abetter OS than the other age subgroups (60 to 79 years and >80years) with a p-value of 0.0001. Occurence of toxicity (all grades andtypes) was linked to a higher survival rates compared to the groupwho had no toxicity noticed (p-value of 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Our study shows that patients who had apolychemotherapy had a better OS than those who had monotherapy(p-value of 0.002).