ObjectiveTo analyze the relation between educational level of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and decision-making and curative effect of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in the current version of the Database from Colorectal Cancer (DACCA). MethodsThe eligible CRC patients were collected from June 29, 2022 updated DACCA according to the screening criteria and were assigned into 4 groups according to their educational level, namely, uneducated, primary educated, secondary educated, and tertiary educated. The differences in NAT decision-making, cancer marker change, symptomatic change, gross change, imaging change, and tumor regression grade (TRG) among the CRC patients with different educational levels were compared. ResultsA total of 2 816 data that met the screening criteria were collected, 138 of whom were uneducated, 777 of whom were primary educated, 1 414 of whom were secondary educated, and 487 of whom were tertiary educated. The analysis results revealed that the difference in the composition ratio of patients choosing NAT regimens by educational level was statistically significant (χ2=30.937, P<0.001), which was reflected that the composition ratio of choosing a simple chemotherapy regimen in the uneducated CRC patients was highest, while which of choosing combined targeted therapy regimen in the tertiary educated CRC patients was highest. In terms of treatment outcomes, the composition ratios of changes in cancer markers (H=4.795, P=0.187), symptoms (H=1.722, P=0.632), gross (H=2.524, P=0.471), imaging (H=2.843, P=0.416), and TRG (H=2.346, P=0.504) had no statistical differences. ConclusionsThrough data analysis in DACCA, it is found that the educational level of patients with CRC can affect the choice of NAT scheme. However, it is not found that the educational level is related to the changes in the curative effect of patients with CRC before and after NAT, and further analysis is needed to determine the reasons for this.
ObjectiveTo analyze the relationship between educational level and oncological characteristics of colorectal patients served by Sichuan University West China Hospital in the current version of the Database from Colorectal Cancer (DACCA). MethodsThe DACCA version selected for this data analysis was the updated version on June 29, 2022. The data items analyzed included: educational level, precancerous lesions, family history of cancer, tumor location, tumor orientation, tumor pathology, tumor morphology, tumor differentiation and preoperative TNM staging. According to Article 17 of the Education Law of the People’s Republic of China, the educational level of the research subjects was divided into four categories: illiteracy group, the primary educated group (elementary school), the secondary educated group (middle school, high school, vocational school and technical school), and the higher educated group (university, higher vocational school, junior college and above). ResultsThe DACCA database was filtered by conditions to obtain 5 512 valid data. The data analysis results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the composition ratios of precancerous lesions (χ2=27.398, P<0.001), tumor site (χ2=42.610, P<0.001) and tumor orientation (χ2=18.967, P=0.025) among the different education groups, and there were not statistically significant differences in the composition ratios of family history of cancer in oneself (χ2=9.345, P=0.133) or in the family (χ2=4.310, P=0.635), tumor pathological properties (χ2=27.027, P=0.202), tumor morphology (χ2=16.283, P=0.061), tumor differentiation degree (H=3.672, P=0.299) and the TNM staging of tumors before operation (H=0.156, P=0.984) among the different education groups. ConclusionsData analysis in DACCA reveal multiple associations between educational level and oncological characteristics of colorectal cancer patients. The education level of patients has a certain reference value in the investigation of various precancerous lesions. With the increase of education level, the proportion of tumors located in the rectum gradually decreases, and the proportion located in the colon gradually increases, and education level may affect treatment and prognosis by influencing preoperative tumor characteristics.