Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of non-geriatric patients with colon cancer

Background: colon cancer is the most frequent malignant disease of the digestive tract, and the second cause of cancer death, only surpassed by lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women.Objective: to characterize clinical and epidemiological variables in patients under 60 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of colon cancer, treated at the “Manuel Ascunce Domenech” General Teaching Hospital of Camagüey, between January 2016 and December 2018.Methods: a descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study was carried out at the department of surgery of the aforementioned hospital and during the period herein declared. The universe consisted of 25 patients between the ages of 20 and 59 years and with a confirmed diagnosis of colon cancer. The following variables were assessed: age, sex, past medical history, forms of clinical presentation and pathological characteristics of the neoplasias.Results: the 50 to 59 age group predominated (56 %) and within it the female sex (76,47 %). Right colon neoplasia prevailed (72 %). The dyspeptic form was predominant (44 %), followed by the hemorrhagic (24 %) and anemic ones (12 %). More than half of the patients lacked predisposing lesions; villous adenoma and polyposis were the most frequent predisposing lesions. Only two patients had a first-order family history of colon cancer. Well differentiated adenocarcinoma was the most common one (52 %).Conclusions: non-geriatric patients with a confirmed diagnosis of colon cancer included in the study were characterized, with a higher incidence in those over 50 years of age, female, and without apparent associated risks.