Cancer of the lower gastrointestinal tract: A five year experience in Ethiopia

To provide the pattern and outcome, 131 patients admitted to Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Department of Surgery, between 1992 and 1996 with a diagnosis of lower gastrointestinal tract (colo-anorectal and small bowel) cancer were a nalysed. Lower gastrointestinal tract cancer accounted for 30% of all gastr ointestinal tract malignancies, excluding hepatic cancer, seen in the Depar tment during the study period, The female to male ratio was 1.0:1.8, The me an age was 47.1+/-5.7 (range 17-85) years. Among the 131 eases, 52.7% and 1 6% were under 50 and 30 years of age, respectively, The mean duration of sy mptoms on admission was 11.2+/-8.9 (range 0.2-43) months, The most frequent clinical features included weight loss(93%), pain(86%), rectal bleeding(79 %), tenesmus(74%) and anorectal lesion(62%), Adenocarcinoma accounted for 9 2% of the pathology. Among 94 surgically staged cases, 63 had Dukes' C and D lesions, The most common site of primary tumours was the rectum(61.1%), N inety per cent of the cases were operable and of these, 63 had resections w ith curative intent. Twenty patients refused surgery, There were fifteen po stoperative hospital-stay deaths. The mean follow up was 5.7+/-3.1 (range 0 .2-48) months, Cancer of the lower gastointestinal tract seemed to occur in rather younger age and diagnosis was late.