BACKGROUND: In Brazil, colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third cause of death by malignant tumors among women and the fifth among men. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the pathologic characteristics of CRC in Brazilian patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 486 CRC diagnosed consecutively were studied. Pathologic characteristics were analyzed according to the patients' gender and age and tumor location. RESULTS: CRC was more frequent in women (n = 271; 56.9%) than in men (n = 205; 43.1%). The median age was 62.5 ± 16.04 years and 51 (10.7%) were younger than 41 years. Ulcer-infiltrative tumors were more common (n = 186; 40.8%) followed by annular-constrictive ones (n = 164; 36.0%). Tumors raised at the right colon were significantly larger than those arising in the left colon (p < 0,001). Most cases were moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas (n = 331; 69.8%), lymphatic vessels were invaded in 232 (52.7%), veins in 105 (23.9%) and nerves in 82 (18.5%). pT3 (n = 308; 64.7%) and pN0 (n = 246; 51.7%) were predominant; 168 (35.3%) CRC were Dukes B stage and 179 (37.6%) were Dukes C. No association was found between tumor location and patients' gender, tumor histological type or stage. CONCLUSIONS: Our data are similar to those on record. They show that among our patients CRC occurs predominantly in women and most tumors are detected in an advanced stage.
Colorectal carcinoma; Pathology; Diagnosis
