Risk Factors and Dietary Patterns in Digestive Cancers: A Case Series from Ibn Rochd University Hospital Center of Casablanca

Author(s): Soukaina El Idrissi, Abdallah Mound, Driss Erguibi, Asmaa Houzi, Kenza Benjelloun, Souha Sahraoui, Mohamed Benharouga, Nadia Alfaidy, Touria Aboussaouira

Background: Cancer represents a major public health problem, with growing evidence suggesting a potential influence of dietary factors. The aim of this study is to characterize the socio-demographic and dietary profile of patients diagnosed with digestive cancers (esophagus, gastric and colorectal) at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital Center of Casablanca.

Methods: This prospective epidemiological study included 110 patients recruited at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital of Casablanca between January 2020 and July 2021. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Results: The mean age of our patients was 59.76 years (SD = 13.13) with a slight male predominance (56.4%). The majority of the patients are married (64.5%), 10.9% are single and 8.2% are divorced. Approximately 47.3% of the participants are illiterate, 36.4% are unemployed and 57.3% reside in urban areas. Regarding dietary habits, poultry, red meat and fish were consumed by 99.1%, 95.5% and 92.7% of patients, respectively. Nearly all participants reported consuming vegetables and fruits, while 76.4% consume French fries. The most frequently consumed dairy products are milk (70.9%), fermented milk (50%) and cheese (61.8%). Tea was among the most commonly consumed beverages with a proportion of 98.2%. Colorectal cancer was the most prevalent digestive tract cancer, accounting for 67.2% of cases, followed by gastric cancer (28.1%) and esophageal cancer (3.6%).

Conclusion: These results suggest that dietary habits may be involved in the development of certain digestive cancers in Morocco. Further casecontrol studies are required to more accurately assess this association.