[Epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer in the General Hospital of Mexico. A 20 years analysis: 1988-2007].

INTRODUCTION: Distribution of colon and rectal tumors has been studied by many authors, which have considered that distal colon and rectum are more affected. However, its frequency and distribution have changed in recent years. OBJECTIVE: A descriptive analysis of colorectal cancer in the General Hospital of Mexico during the last 20 years (1988-2007). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a transversal comparative study between decades from the database of the Pathology Service of the General Hospital of Mexico, of cases of cancer diagnosed from January 1988 to December 2007. Variables included age, gender, anatomic site of the tumor,grade of differentiation, stadification and type of surgery. RESULTS: There were 222 cases from 1988 to 1997 and 400 cases from 1998 to 2007. 115 (52%) were female in the firs decade and 210 (53%) in the second. We found a prevalence of 71 cases (32%) for the proximal colon, 24 (11%) for the distal colon and 127 (57%) for the rectum in the first decade; in second decade there were 182 (45%) cases for the proximal colon, 50 (13%) for the distal colon and 168 (42%) for the rectum. CONCLUSIONS: The number of colorectal cancerduring the last decade almost doubled in our hospital (80%); we also found an increase in the number of proximal tumors and a decreasein the number of rectal tumors.