Cause of death among patients with colorectal cancer: a population-based study in the United States

CRC (Colorectal cancer) is one of the most common causes of death worldwide and in the US (United States). In this study, we aim to perform a population-based analysis on the cause of death among patients with CRC in the US. A total of 834,510 CRC patients diagnosed between 1975 and 2016 in the US were selected from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) program. Causes of death among CRC patients were characterized and SMRs (standardized mortality ratios) of death from non-cancer causes were calculated. Among all CRC patients included in this study, a total of 531,507 deaths were recorded, of which 51.3% were due to CRC, 10.3% were due to other cancers, and 38.4% were due to non-cancer causes. Recently, there has been a relative decrease in index-cancer deaths and an increase in non-cancer causes among CRC patients. The mortality risk from non-cancer rises with accumulating age and longer follow-up time. Cardiovascular diseases are the most prevalent non-cancer causes, accounting for 20.3% of all deaths among CRC patients. Compared with the general population, the mortality rate of non-cancer deaths among CRC patients is doubled (SMR, 2.02; 95% confidence interval, 2.01-2.03).