COLORECTAL CANCER IN THE MILITARY IN TUNISIA

Introduction: In the military environment colon cancer leads to an important operational and financial loss that can hamper military logistics. Our work aimed to study the particularities and challenges encountered in the management of this cancer in the Tunisian military population. Methods:We conducted a retrospective descriptive study on colorectal cancer (CRC) over a period of 3 and a half years from January 2 2017 to June 30 2020. Results: The number of cases was 50 with a female predominance of 58%. Histologically the most frequent histological type was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (ADK) (60% of cases). The tumors were diagnosed at a late stage (pT3 in 62% of cases). Overall survival was 86% at 1 year 72% at 2 years 47% at 3 years. Conclusion: Despite several advantages in military health care the management of CRC in the military setting remains subject to epidemiological screening diagnostic and treatment challenges.