A Retrospective Analysis of Sociodemographic, Comorbidity and Lifestyle Risk Factors in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Single Centre Experience from 2010-2018

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health concern, exhibiting high mortality and incidence rates in Malaysia. It constitutes 13.5% of new cancer cases in the country, with a higher prevalence among males. Despite this, studies on colorectal cancer risk factors in a multi-ethnic population in a private hospital setting are rare. The primary objective of this study was to identify sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors associated with CRC and to examine CRC risk factors among patients diagnosed with CRC and matched non-CRC controls treated at a private hospital between 2010 and 2018. A retrospective case-control study was performed at a private hospital in Seremban, Malaysia. The study included 25 Malaysian residents diagnosed with histologically confirmed CRC, who received treatment at the hospital between 2010 and 2018. The control group consisted of 50 non-CRC patients who were randomly chosen from the same hospital during the same time frame. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise variables, and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for CRC. CRC patients had a mean age of 63 years compared with 50 years for controls, with a higher proportion being female (56.0% vs. 36.0%) and Chinese (60.0% vs. 32.0%). They also showed increased rates of diabetes mellitus (76.0% vs. 36.0%) and colon polyps (36.0% vs. 4.0%). Multiple logistic regression showed that each one-year increase in age was associated with 12% higher odds of CRC (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.21). Diabetes mellitus was linked with nearly 10-fold higher odds (OR 9.69, 95% CI 1.64 - 57.40), and colon polyps with 62-fold higher odds (OR 62.03, 95% CI 3.50 - 1100.23). This study identified a significantly higher risk of colorectal cancer in individuals with diabetes, older age, and history of colon polyps. Hypertension, heart disease, smoking, and alcohol consumption were not found to be significantly associated. These findings require confirmation using a larger, diverse sample. Regular monitoring of high-risk groups, especially those over 50 years of age with diabetes or colon polyps, is crucial for early detection and reduction of the impact of colorectal cancer.