Factors associated with short-term survival after colorectal cancer in Northwest of Iran

Abstract

Background: Survival rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) varies across the globe. This study aimed to investigate the six months and one-year survival rates of CRC and its predictors in the northwest of Iran. Methods: All patients with a confirmed new diagnosis of CRC aged 18 and over between 2015 and 2016 were included in this study and were followed up for one year. A questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, comorbid conditions and clinical features were completed by a trained interviewer. The survival analysis at six-months and one-year was performed. The log-rank test and the multiple Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were also performed. A p-value of less than 0.05 was determined as level of significance. STATA version 14 was used for all data analyses.

Result: The Three-month, six-months and one-year survival rates were 95/1%, 88/3% and 76/5% respectively. Age was a predictor of the one-year survival rate (HR=1.64, 95% CI:0.92-2.80). For staging at diagnosis, one-year mortality was 4.14 times (95% CI:0.99-17.22) higher for those who were diagnosed with stage III/IV. Patients who received adjuvant treatment less likely to die from CRC in all three survival rates: Three-month (HR=11.11 95% CI: 1.38-100); six-month (HR=2.32 95% CI: 1.35-7.69) and one-year (HR=2.32 95% CI: 1.36-4.16) respectively. Conclusion: According to this study, short term survival rate was relatively lower than those in developed countries suggesting the advanced stage at presentation as a main driven factor. Therefore, health policymakers should consider the implementation of screening programs and resource allocation for early detection of this cancer.