Staging profile and clinical outcomes in colon cancer patients at an oncology unit in Distrito Federal

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate overall survival, progression-free survival, and the clinical-pathological profile of patients with colon cancer treated at an oncology unit in Brasília, Distrito Federal. Methods: Retrospective study including patients diagnosed between 2017 and 2020, aged ≥18 years, who received chemotherapy. The overall survival and progression-free survival were assessed over five years using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression models. Results: A total of 61 patients were included, of whom 62.3% died and 52.4% experienced disease progression. Most patients were aged ≥60 years (55.7%) and were female (57.4%). Tumors were mainly located in the sigmoid colon (39.3%) and descending colon (32.8%). Intermediate histological grade was the most frequent (52.5%), and the majority of patients were diagnosed at advanced stages (III–IV), accounting for 90.2% of cases. Conclusion: Clinical staging at diagnosis was the main prognostic factor for overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with colorectal cancer, with worse outcomes observed in stage IV disease. Histological grade was associated with progression-free survival, with high-grade tumors being related to poorer prognosis. The high frequency of diagnosis at advanced stages highlights the importance of early screening to reduce mortality and disease progression.