Demographic and clinical characteristics associated with advanced stage colorectal cancer: a registry-based cohort study in Saudi Arabia

Background In Saudi Arabia, approximately one-third of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Late diagnosis is often associated with a worse prognosis. Understanding the risk factors for late-stage presentation of CRC is crucial for developing targeted interventions enabling earlier detection and improved patient outcomes. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 17,541 CRC patients from the Saudi Cancer Registry (1997–2017). We defined distant CRCs as late-stage and localized and regional CRCs as early-stage. To assess risk factors for late-stage CRC, we first used multivariable logistic regression, then developed a decision tree to segment regions by late-stage CRC risk, and finally used stratified logistic regression models to examine geographical and sex variations in risk factors. Results Of all cases, 29% had a late-stage diagnosis, and 71% had early-stage CRC. Young (