Colon Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Colon Cancer, including details on causes, treatment, symptoms. | ||||||||
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Differences between right- and left-sided colon cancer in patient characteristics, cancer morphology and histology.Nawa T, Kato J, Kawamoto H, Okada H, Yamamoto H, Kohno H, Endo H, Shiratori Y Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan. torunawa@yahoo.co.jp BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recently, the clinical and biological differences between right- and left-sided colon cancers have been widely debated. However, close analyses of these clinical differences, based on large-scale studies, have been scarcely reported. METHODS: A total of 3552 consecutive Japanese colorectal cancer cases were examined and the clinical differences between right- and left-sided colon cancer cases were investigated. RESULTS: The proportion of right-sided colon cancer was relatively high in patients aged less than 40 years (33%) and more than 80 years (43%). The proportion of right-sided colon cancer in patients aged 40-59 years was relatively low (male 22% and female 29%). In male patients the proportion increased in the 70-79 years age group (30%), while in female patients the proportion increased in the 60-69 years age group (39%). Right-sided colon cancer was more likely to be detected at an advanced stage (T1 stage; left 22%, right 15%) (P < 0.01) with severe symptoms. Polypoid-type early cancer was dominant in the left colon (left 59%; right 40%) (P < 0.01), while the proportion of flat-type early cancer in the right colon was significantly higher than that in the left colon (left 25%; right 44%) (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Specific age distribution of right-sided colon cancer was observed and the difference between male and female patients was highlighted. Other clinical features also differed between right- and left-sided colon cancer, suggesting that different mechanisms may be at work during right and left colon carcinogenesis. Published 5 March 2008 in J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 23(3): 418-23.
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