Does antiaggregant administration lead to early diagnosis in proximal colon cancer?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION[|]Cancers of the proximal colon are often diagnosed in advanced stages with iron deficiency anaemia and nonspecific symptoms. Aspirin and clopidogrel are commonly used antiaggregant agents for various clinical conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of antiaggregant medication on the early diagnosis of proximal colon cancer.[¤]METHODS[|]We retrospectively reviewed the cases of colon cancer patients who had received curative surgical procedures in our clinic between 1 January 2013 and 31 July 2016. The clinical and pathological results of patients who had used antiaggregant drugs were compared to those who had not.[¤]RESULTS[|]During the studied period, 246 colorectal cancer patients underwent curative surgical procedures. Of the 67 patients with proximal colon cancer who were included in the study, 27 (40.3%) were on antiaggregant medication. The mean age of the antiaggregant group was 67.1 year (34–88 years), while it was 58.3 (34–83 years) for the non-antiaggregant group; the difference between the two was statistically significant (p = 0.03). A pathological evaluation revealed that 74.1% of the antiaggregant group were in the early stages (Stage I/II: 7/13), while 42.5% of the non-antiaggregant group were in the early stages (Stage I–II: 2/15); the difference was statistically significant (p=0.011).[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]Antiaggregant medication has a positive effect on diagnosing proximal colon cancer at early-stages. Patients using aspirin or clopidogrel should undergo a complete colonoscopic evaluation in the presence of gastrointestinal tract bleeding or newly developed anaemia.[¤]

Keywords

• antiaggregant medication
• proximal colon cancer
• early-stage