The natural history of colorectal carcinoma in adolescents.

The symptoms, histology, extent, and course of disease of 24 adolescents with colorectal carcinoma who were admitted to St. Jude Children's Hospital between 1964 and 1980 are presented. Twenty of the patients were referred between October 1974 and June 1980. Most patients presented with vague abdominal complaints. Twenty-one of the 24 patients had poorly differentiated mucin-producing adenocarcinoma. Extensive disease at diagnosis and unresponsiveness to medical management was reflected in the eight-month median survival from diagnosis. Only two of the 24 patients survive free of disease 15 and 130 months from diagnosis. Two other patients survive with disease at four and 24 months.