Biosocial Correlates of Colorectal Cancer in Greece

• Published in: International journal of epidemiology 1984-06, Vol.13 (2), p.155-159
• Main Authors: PAPADIMITRIOU, CHRISTOS, DAY, NICHOLAS, TZONOU, ANASTASIA, GEROVASSILIS, FOTIS, MANOUSOS, ORESTIS, TRICHOPOULOS, DIMITRIOS
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cholecystectomy - adverse effects; Colonic Neoplasms - epidemiology; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastrointestinal Motility; Greece; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Menstruation; Middle Aged; Other diseases. Semiology; Parity; Rectal Neoplasms - epidemiology; Regression Analysis; Risk; Smoking; Socioeconomic Factors; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus
• ISSN: 0300-5771; 1464-3685
• DOI: 10.1093/ije/13.2.155

Papadimitriou C (Department of Gastroenterology, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece), Day N, Tzonou A, Gerovassilis F, Manousos O and Trichopoulos D. Bio-social correlates of colorectal cancer in Greece. International Journal of Epidemiology 1984; 13: 155–159. One hundred consecutive patients with histologically confirmed colorectal cancer and an equal number of age-and sex-matched orthopaedic patients as hospital controls were interviewed about demographic, socio-economic, biometric and medical variables. Cholecystectomy was significantly more frequent among cases than controls, but there was no side-predilection of the post-cholecystectomy tumours. The frequency of bowel evacuation was significantly higher among cases, particularly those with rectal cancer, an observation which appears contradictory to the ’prolonged bowel transit time—high colorectal cancer risk‘ hypothesis. No significant differences were found between cases and controls with respect to socioeconomic status, height and weight, smoking habits, use of laxatives and (for females) parity, age at first pregnancy, and age at menopause; however, cases appeared to be younger at menarche.