PURPOSE: Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is generally a disease of persons older than 50 years. Concerning younger patients, controversies still exist regarding features and prognosis of CRC. We performed this study to characterize CRC in young patients (≤50 years) as well as to evaluate outcome in comparison with older patients (>50 years) with CRC. METHODS: Clinical and histopathological parameters of 244 patients aged 50 years or less were compared with 1,718 patients aged more than 50 years. RESULTS: Compared with older patients, the younger had less adenocarcinomas (82.8% vs. 89.1%; p = 0.004) and less postoperative complications (18.4% vs. 28.7%; p = 0.001), and less Union Internationale Contre le Cancer stage I colon cancers (22.9% vs. 13.6%, p = 0.046) but elevated overall 5-year survival rates for M0 colon and rectal cancers (p = 0.005; p < 0.001). In young patients, the minority suffered from hereditary cancer syndromes (7.4%) and inflammatory bowel diseases (7.0%). Furthermore, up to 40% of young patients denied any cancers in their families. Cancer-related survival rates were significantly elevated in young patients with M0 rectal carcinoma (p = 0.014), whereas in M0 colon cancers, no differences were detectable (p = 0.542). In case of the presence of distant metastases, overall and cancer-related survival rates were similar in old and young patients. CONCLUSION: Although young patients present with more aggressive histopathological subtypes and less early stages, cancer-related survival is not less favourable compared with older patients.
PURPOSE:Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is generally a disease of persons older than 50 years. Concerning younger patients, controversies still exist regarding features and prognosis of CRC. We performed this study to characterize CRC in young patients (≤50 years) as well as to evaluate outcome in comparison with older patients (>50 years) with CRC. METHODS: Clinical and histopathological parameters of 244 patients aged 50 years or less were compared with 1,718 patients aged more than 50 years. RESULTS: Compared with older patients, the younger had less adenocarcinomas (82.8% vs. 89.1%; p = 0.004) and less postoperative complications (18.4% vs. 28.7%; p = 0.001), and less Union Internationale Contre le Cancer stage I colon cancers (22.9% vs. 13.6%, p = 0.046) but elevated overall 5-year survival rates for M0 colon and rectal cancers (p = 0.005; p < 0.001). In young patients, the minority suffered from hereditary cancer syndromes (7.4%) and inflammatory bowel diseases (7.0%). Furthermore, up to 40% of young patients denied any cancers in their families. Cancer-related survival rates were significantly elevated in young patients with M0 rectal carcinoma (p = 0.014), whereas in M0 colon cancers, no differences were detectable (p = 0.542). In case of the presence of distant metastases, overall and cancer-related survival rates were similar in old and young patients. CONCLUSION: Although young patients present with more aggressive histopathological subtypes and less early stages, cancer-related survival is not less favourable compared with older patients.
Authors: J C Cusack; G G Giacco; K Cleary; B S Davidson; F Izzo; J Skibber; J Yen; S A Curley Journal: J Am Coll Surg Date: 1996-08 Impact factor: 6.113
Authors: Jessica B O'Connell; Melinda A Maggard; Jerome H Liu; David A Etzioni; Edward H Livingston; Clifford Y Ko Journal: Am Surg Date: 2003-10 Impact factor: 0.688
Authors: Alexander Meyer; Susanne Merkel; Wolfgang Brückl; Vera Schellerer; Claus Schildberg; Valentina Campean; Werner Hohenberger; Roland S Croner Journal: Eur J Cancer Date: 2009-02-14 Impact factor: 9.162
Authors: João Batista de Sousa; Caio Simões Souza; Maria Bianca Fernandes; Leonardo de Castro Durães; Romulo Medeiros de Almeida; Antônio Carlos Nóbrega Dos Santos; Eduardo Freitas da Silva; Paulo Gonçalves de Oliveira Journal: Int J Colorectal Dis Date: 2014-01-10 Impact factor: 2.571
Authors: Andreana N Holowatyj; Julie J Ruterbusch; Laura S Rozek; Michele L Cote; Elena M Stoffel Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2016-05-02 Impact factor: 44.544