Colorectal cancer epidemiology among the Bahraini population, 1998-2011

الملخص EN

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of colorectal cancer among the Bahraini population during the period 1998-2011.

Methods: All colorectal cancer cases in the Bahrain Cancer Registry from 1st January 1998 to 31st December 2011 were included.

Results: During the 14-year period from 1998-2011, colorectal cancer was the second most common cancer in Bahrain among both men and women.

This cancer accounted for 10.2% and 7% of all incident cancers in Bahraini men and women respetively.

Age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were found to be higher in men; the average annual ASRs were 14.0 and 9.2 per 100,000 Bahraini men and women, respectively.

Adenocarcinomas were the most predominant histopathological type and represented 67.7% of all colorectal cancer cases.

Conclusions: The present study shows that the incidence of colorectal cancer has been increasing over the past 14 years.

More effort should be made to reduce the proportion of unknown stage and grade of colorectal cancers.

All of the registered cases of colorectal cancer were detected through routine examination, possibly due to under-reporting or a deficiency in the screening programs in Bahrain.

Therefore, an evaluation of the Bahraini colorectal cancer national screening guidelines, including the ideal age to start screening, is urgently needed.

Future research should be directed towards collaborative regional analytical studies to understand the multifactorial role of the interactive risk factors of colorectal cancer.