Colorectal cancer: the state of oncological care and descriptive indicators in Russia and the Republic of Crimea

Purpose of the study. To perform a comparative analysis of colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence trends in Russia and the Republic of Crimea from 2015 to 2024.

Materials and methods. Data from the medical statistics reports of the Federal State Statistics Service Administration for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as average annual population data, were analyzed. Data processing was performed using Microsoft Office Excel. Mathematical analysis of trends was carried out using a linear model with calculation of the approximation reliability coefficient R² (R²min > 0.75).

Results. In the Republic of Crimea the figures for the period 2015–2024 are lower than the national figures, with the exception of 2022, and there has been an increase in the percentage of morphological verification and a decrease in the percentage of mortality within 1 year. The most concerning issue is the low detection rate of CRC during preventive examinations: from 10.4 % (colon cancer) and 16.5 % (rectosigmoid junction, rectum, and anus cancer) in 2015 to the current rates of 3.7 % and 8.6 %, respectively. In the Russian Federation, there has been an annual increase in this indicator, and in 2024, it reached 17.4 % and 19.8 % for these localizations. The detection rates of the disease at stages 1–2 in the Republic of Crimea are lower than the national rates (48.4 % and 51.6 %, respectively).

Conclusion. In the Republic of Crimea, the statistics on the incidence of CRC have changed over the past 8 years, depending on the organizational measures taken (due to the periods of the pandemic and improvements in the quality of care after 2014), and have shown a downward trend. Implementing early CRC diagnosis during preventive examinations is an important aspect of healthcare planning in the region.

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