Despite aggressive histopathology survival is not impaired in young patients with colorectal cancer: CRC in patients under 50 years of age

• Published in: International journal of colorectal disease 2012, Vol.27 (1), p.71-79
• Main Authors: Schellerer, Vera Simone, Merkel, Susanne, Schumann, Silke Christiane, Schlabrakowski, Anne, Förtsch, Thomas, Schildberg, Claus, Hohenberger, Werner, Croner, Roland Siegfried
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colorectal Neoplasms - mortality; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - therapy; Female; Gastroenterology; Germany - epidemiology; Hepatology; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Original Article; Postoperative Care - mortality; Proctology; Risk Factors; Surgery; Survival Analysis; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0179-1958; 1432-1262
• DOI: 10.1007/s00384-011-1291-8

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