Clinicopathological differences and correlations between right and left colon cancer
Ioannis Kalantzis, Afroditi Nonni, Kitty Pavlakis, Eumorphia-Maria Delicha, K Miltiadou, Christos Kosmas, Nikolaos Ziras, Konstantinos Gkoumas, Harikleia Gakiopoulou
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The differences in histopathology and molecular biology between right colon cancer (RCC) and left colon cancer (LCC) were first reported in the literature by Bufill in 1990. Since then, a large number of studies have confirmed their differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation, comorbidities and biological behaviours, which may be related to the difference in prognosis and overall survival (OS) between the two groups. AIM: To investigate statistically significant differences between Greek patients with LCC and RCC. METHODS: The present observational study included 144 patients diagnosed with colon cancer of any stage who received chemotherapy in a Greek tertiary oncology hospital during a 2.5-year period. Clinical information, comorbidities, histopathologic characteristics and molecular biomarkers were collected from the patients' medical records retrospectively, while administered chemotherapy regimens, targeted agents, progression-free survival (PFS) periods with first- and second-line chemotherapy and OS were recorded retroactively and prospectively. Data analysis was performed with the SPSS statistical package. RESULTS: = 0.018). CONCLUSION: RCC patients present more comorbidities, worse histological and molecular characteristics and a consequently higher probability of tumour recurrence, poor response to targeted therapy and shorter OS than LCC patients.