Colorectal cancer in Korea: characteristics and trends

Aims and background. Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of malignancy in Korea. However, there have been few reports concerning the clinical or pathological characteristics of patients in this area. The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics and trends of colorectal cancer in Korea. Methods: The 1,468 patients with a histologic diagnoses of colorectal cancer between 1990 and 1997 at the Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea, were retrospectively examined. The data source was the medical record database of the Hospital. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was younger than in Western countries (57.4 years for colon cancer and 55.6 years for rectal cancer). Rectal cancer was found to be more frequent than colon cancer. However, the proportion of colon cancer has been steadily increasing with time. The changes in the colon-to-rectal ratio mainly arose from an increase in left-sided colon cancer. Moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was also increasing. Colon cancer patients demonstrated a more advanced stage than the rectal cancer patients. Surgery was performed in 93.7% of the patients as a first course of treatment. Conclusions: The characteristics of Korean colorectal cancer patients were remarkably different from those seen in Western countries in age and primary tumor site distribution. However, the differences were less evident with time. A nationwide population-based registry is required to confirm the results of the study.