Rectal prolapse as an initial presentation of colorectal cancer: a systematic review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rectal prolapse as an initial presentation of colorectal cancer

T2 - a systematic review

AU - Shahabi, Fatemeh

AU - Abdollahi, Abbas

AU - Zarif-Sadeghian, Mahdieh

AU - Ziyaie, Dorin

AU - Rahimpour, Ehsan

AU - Ansari, Majid

AU - Davoudi-Monfared, Esmat

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/3/27

Y1 - 2025/3/27

N2 - Background: Colorectal cancer rising incidence still pose a public health challenge. In the present systematic review, we aimed to study the colorectal cancer patients with initial presentation of rectal prolapse. Method: The study protocol was developed (PROSPERO CRD42017060473). We searched Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus to identify case reports of rectal Prolapse as a chief compliant of colorectal cancer. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used for screening and data extraction. Results: Thirty-one case reports were included in this review. More than half of the patients were females over 65 years old and mean ± SD age of the cases were 64 ± 17.9 years and, the female gender were mentioned in 17 (56%) case reports. The majority (64.5%) of the identified cancer belong to rectum and recto-sigmoid origin's location. In the history retained from the cases, rectal bleeding and constipation were the most frequent reported accompanied symptoms in colorectal cancer cases with initial presentation of rectal prolapse. 67.7% of all identified cases in this review published at 2015 and later. Conclusion: Rectal prolapse can be an initial presentation of colorectal cancer, which is more prevalent in female more than 65 years old. The most common symptoms accompanied rectal prolapse were rectal bleeding and constipation. According to rising published case reports on colorectal cancer patients with initial presentation of rectal prolapse in recent years, further work-up is recommended for patients without predisposing factors for a concomitant tumor.

AB - Background: Colorectal cancer rising incidence still pose a public health challenge. In the present systematic review, we aimed to study the colorectal cancer patients with initial presentation of rectal prolapse. Method: The study protocol was developed (PROSPERO CRD42017060473). We searched Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus to identify case reports of rectal Prolapse as a chief compliant of colorectal cancer. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used for screening and data extraction. Results: Thirty-one case reports were included in this review. More than half of the patients were females over 65 years old and mean ± SD age of the cases were 64 ± 17.9 years and, the female gender were mentioned in 17 (56%) case reports. The majority (64.5%) of the identified cancer belong to rectum and recto-sigmoid origin's location. In the history retained from the cases, rectal bleeding and constipation were the most frequent reported accompanied symptoms in colorectal cancer cases with initial presentation of rectal prolapse. 67.7% of all identified cases in this review published at 2015 and later. Conclusion: Rectal prolapse can be an initial presentation of colorectal cancer, which is more prevalent in female more than 65 years old. The most common symptoms accompanied rectal prolapse were rectal bleeding and constipation. According to rising published case reports on colorectal cancer patients with initial presentation of rectal prolapse in recent years, further work-up is recommended for patients without predisposing factors for a concomitant tumor.

KW - Colorectal cancer

KW - Initial presentation

KW - Rectal prolapse

KW - Systematic review

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105001122864

U2 - 10.1186/s12885-025-13924-4

DO - 10.1186/s12885-025-13924-4

M3 - Review article

C2 - 40148836

AN - SCOPUS:105001122864

SN - 1471-2407

VL - 25

JO - BMC Cancer

JF - BMC Cancer

IS - 1

M1 - 553

ER -