Young patients with colorectal cancer have poor survival in the first twenty months after operation and predictable survival in the medium and long-term: analysis of survival and prognostic markers

Early Onset Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Current Insights and Clinical Management of a Rising Condition

Despite a recent overall decrease in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality, there has been a significant rise in CRC diagnoses in young adults. Early onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is defined as CRC diagnosed before the age of 50. Possible predisposing conditions include not only genetic syndromes but also other risk factors, such as microbiome alteration, antibiotic exposure, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory bowel disease. EOCRC tends to be diagnosed later than in the older counterpart because of a lack of awareness and the fact that screening for CRC usually starts at the age of 50. Furthermore, CRC in young adults seems to be related to unique molecular features and more aggressive clinical behavior. This paper aims to provide an in-depth review of this poorly understood subject, with a comprehensive review of the state of the art and considerations for future perspectives.

A Retrospective Multicenter Study of the Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis of Young Adult Patients with Colorectal Cancer: Effects of Chemotherapy on Prognosis

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate clinicopathologic features of young patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and to compare their prognosis with those of older patients Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent surgery for stage 0-III CRC at four university-affiliated hospitals between January 2011 and December 2020. The patients were divided into two groups, the young adult group (≤45 years) and the older group (>45 years).

RESULTS

Of 1992 patients, 93 (4.6%) were young adults and 1899 (95.3%) were older patients. Young patients showed more symptoms (p = 0.014) and more poorly or undifferentiated adenocarcinoma (p = 0.047) than older patients. The young adult patients were more likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy (p < 0.001) and multidrug agents (p = 0.029), and less likely to cease chemotherapy (p = 0.037). The five-year RFS (recurrence-free survival) rate was better in the young adults than in the older patients (p = 0.009). In the multivariable analysis, young age was a significant prognostic factor for better RFS (p = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Young patients with CRC had more symptoms, aggressive histological features than older patients. They received more multidrug agents and discontinued chemotherapy less often, resulting in better prognosis.

Characteristics and symptomatology of colorectal cancer in the young

BACKGROUND

The incidence of colorectal cancer in patients <50 years has rapidly risen recently. Understanding the presenting symptoms may facilitate earlier diagnosis. We aimed to delineate patient characteristics, symptomatology, and tumor characteristics of colorectal cancer in a young population.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted evaluating patients <50 years diagnosed between 2005 and 2019 with primary colorectal cancer at a university teaching hospital. The number and character of colorectal cancer-related symptoms at presentation was the primary outcome measured. Patient and tumor characteristics were also collected.

RESULTS

Included were 286 patients with a median age of 44 years, with 56% <45 years. Nearly all patients (95%) were symptomatic at presentation, with 85% having 2 or more symptoms. The most common symptoms were pain (63%), followed by change in stool habits (54%), rectal bleeding (53%), and weight loss (32%). Diarrhea was more common than constipation. More than 50% had symptoms for at least 3 months before diagnosis. The number and duration of symptoms were similar in patients older than 45 compared to those younger. Most cancers were left-sided (77%) and advanced stage at presentation (36% stage III, 39% stage IV).

CONCLUSION

In this cohort of young patients with colorectal cancer, the majority presented with multiple symptoms having a median duration of 3 months. It is essential that providers be mindful of the ever-increasing incidence of colorectal malignancy in young patients, and that those with multiple, durable symptoms should be offered screening for colorectal neoplasms based on symptoms alone.

Young Patients With Colorectal Cancer Have Higher Early Mortality but Better Long-Term Survival

INTRODUCTION

To define the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) in young patients and to compare their postoperative treatment with that of older patients.

METHODS

This multicenter study enrolled 5,457 patients with primary CRC who underwent surgical resection. The overall survival (OS), clinicopathologic characteristics, and postoperative treatment of 253 young patients aged 18-44 years and 5,204 older patients aged 44-80 years were analyzed.

RESULTS

The OS rate was 77.1% for young and 74.2% for older patients (P = 0.348). Landmark analysis showed a significant difference in survival between young and older patients, with 63.8% of deaths among young patients being within 25 months of surgery compared with 42.4% among older patients (P = 0.002). Among those who survived more than 25 months, young patients had significantly better survival than older patients (P = 0.009). Multivariable analysis of young patients revealed that the tumor location, perineural invasion, and stage were associated with poor survival within 25 months; after this period, stage was the only prognostic marker. Young patients were more likely to receive chemotherapy, particularly multiagent regimens. For young patients, no significant difference in OS was found based on the chemotherapy regimen, regardless of disease stage (II, III, or IV, all P > 0.05). In addition, unlike in older patients, no difference in OS was found in young patients regardless of the drug regimen administered (all P > 0.05).

DISCUSSION

Young-onset CRC may have a unique disease biology that warrants further research and therapy development.

Clinical Delays and Comparative Outcomes in Younger and Older Adults with Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review

Outcome disparities between adults <50 with colorectal cancer (CRC) and older adults may be explained by clinical delays. This study synthesized the literature comparing delays and outcomes between younger and older adults with CRC. Databases were searched until December 2021. We included studies published after 1990 reporting delay in adults <50 that made comparisons to older adults. Comparisons were described narratively and stage between age groups was meta-analyzed. 39 studies were included representing 185,710 younger CRC patients and 1,422,062 older patients. Sixteen delay intervals were compared. Fourteen studies (36%) found significantly longer delays among younger adults, and nine (23%) found shorter delays among younger patients. Twelve studies compared time from symptom onset to diagnosis (N younger = 1538). Five showed significantly longer delays for younger adults. Adults <50 years also had higher odds of advanced stage (16 studies, pooled OR for Stage III/IV 1.76, 95% CI 1.52-2.03). Ten studies compared time from diagnosis to treatment (N younger = 171,726) with 4 showing significantly shorter delays for younger adults. All studies showing longer delays for younger adults examined pre-diagnostic intervals. Three studies compared the impact of delay on younger versus older adult. One showed longer delays were associated with advanced stage and worse survival in younger but not older adults. Longer delays among younger adults with CRC occur in pre-diagnostic intervals.

Significant Rise of Colorectal Cancer Incidence in Younger Adults and Strong Determinants: 30 Years Longitudinal Differences between under and over 50s

(1) Background: There is evidence in the recent literature that the incidence patterns of colorectal cancer (CRC) have changed considerably over the years, tending to rise rapidly in individuals under 50 years old compared with those over 50 years. The current study aimed to assess the incidence of CRC in Crete from 1992−2021 and compare them among younger and older adults. (2) Methods: Data on malignant neoplasms of colon, rectosigmoid junction, and rectum have been extracted from the database of the Regional Cancer Registry of Crete. (3) Results: The number of these cases for the period 1992−2021 was 3857 (n = 2895 colon and n = 962 rectum). The mean age-specific incidence rate (ASpIR/100,000/year) of colon cancer patients <50 years was 7.2 (95% CI 5.1−9.7), while for patients ≥50 years the ASpIR was 149 (95% CI 146.2−153.4). ASpIR presented a 29.6% increase from 2001 to 2011 in the age group of 20−34 years and further increase is expected from 2022−2030 (projected change, 42.8%). The main risk factors were the pack years (p = 0.01), alcohol consumption (0.02), and farmer occupation (0.04), especially during 2012−2021. (4) Conclusions: We confirmed an increased incidence of CRC in young adults <50 in a European population with low cancer incidence in the past and a worrisome prediction for the near future. The observed trends clearly indicate that starting CRC screening at an earlier age may be essential.

Time to diagnosis and treatment in younger adults with colorectal cancer: A systematic review

Background

The incidence of colorectal cancer is rising in adults <50 years of age. As a primarily unscreened population, they may have clinically important delays to diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to review the literature on delay intervals in patients <50 years with colorectal cancer (CRC), and explore associations between longer intervals and outcomes.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, and LILACS were searched until December 2, 2021. We included studies published after 1990 reporting any delay interval in adults <50 with CRC. Interval measures and associations with stage at presentation or survival were synthesized and described in a narrative fashion. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, Institute of Health Economics Case Series Quality Appraisal Checklist, and the Aarhus Checklist for cancer delay studies.

Results

55 studies representing 188,530 younger CRC patients were included. Most studies used primary data collection (64%), and 47% reported a single center. Sixteen unique intervals were measured. The most common interval was symptom onset to diagnosis (21 studies; N = 2,107). By sample size, diagnosis to treatment start was the most reported interval (12 studies; N = 170,463). Four studies examined symptoms onset to treatment start (total interval). The shortest was a mean of 99.5 days and the longest was a median of 217 days. There was substantial heterogeneity in the measurement of intervals, and quality of reporting. Higher-quality studies were more likely to use cancer registries, and be population-based. In four studies reporting the relationship between intervals and cancer stage or survival, there were no clear associations between longer intervals and adverse outcomes.

Discussion

Adults <50 with CRC may have intervals between symptom onset to treatment start greater than 6 months. Studies reporting intervals among younger patients are limited by inconsistent results and heterogeneous reporting. There is insufficient evidence to determine if longer intervals are associated with advanced stage or worse survival.

Other

This study’s protocol was registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number CRD42020179707).

East-central Tunisian patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma: a comparative study of the clinicopathological features between patients under 50 years of age and older patients

INTRODUCTION

Colorectal cancer is a major public health problem. In younger patients, its incidence continues to rise and its prognosis appears to be worse. Its treatment is based on curative surgery associated with neo-adjuvant and adjuvant therapies.

AIM

To describe the clinical and pathological characteristics of colorectal cancers in young patients.

METHODS

In this monocentric cohort study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features in colorectal cancer patients who underwent treatment from 2002 to 2014. Data of younger (group A, ≤50years) vs older (group B, >50years) patients were compared.

RESULTS

Two hundred and sixty-six patients met inclusion and non-inclusion criteria. The younger and older groups consisted respectively of 25.2% and 74.8% of patients. Both groups were comparable regarding the symptom presentation and duration. Synchronous tumors were more frequent amongst the group A (10.7% vs 1.0%, p = 0.024). Preoperative staging showed a higher frequency of tumors classified as advanced stage (stages III and IV) in the group A (p = 0.001). The patients of group A were diagnosed with a higher proportion of poorly differentiated or undifferentiated adenocarcinomas (13.4% vs 3.5%, p = 0.005), the mucinous character was also more frequent in the group A (28.4%). According to the pTNM (tumor, nodes and metastases) classification, tumors were more advanced in the group A than in group B (80.6% vs 48.7%, p <0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that colorectal adenocarcinomas in the younger patients, compared to the older ones, were more aggressive with a higher proportion of poorly differentiated or undifferentiated adenocarcinomas, more often mucin production and more advanced tumors.

Distant Metastasis Pattern and Prognostic Prediction Model of Colorectal Cancer Patients Based on Big Data Mining

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the distant metastasis pattern from newly diagnosed colorectal cancer (CRC) and also construct and validate a prognostic nomogram to predict both overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of CRC patients with distant metastases.

Methods

Primary CRC patients who were initially diagnosed from 2010 to 2016 in the SEER database were included in the analysis. The independent risk factors affecting the OS, CSS, all-cause mortality, and CRC-specific mortality of the patients were screened by the Cox regression and Fine–Gray competitive risk model. The nomogram models were constructed to predict the OS and CSS of the patients. The reliability and accuracy of the prediction model were evaluated by consistency index (C-index) and calibration curve. The gene chip GSE41258 was downloaded from the GEO database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by the GEO2R online tool (p < 0.05, |logFC|>1.5). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and String website were used for enrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis of DEGs, respectively, and Cytoscape software was used to construct PPI network and screen function modules and hub genes.

Results

A total of 57,835 CRC patients, including 47,823 without distant metastases and 10,012 (17.31%) with metastases, were identified. Older age, unmarried status, poorly differentiated or undifferentiated grade, right colon site, larger tumor size, N2 stage, more metastatic sites, and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) might lead to poorer prognosis (all p < 0.01). The independent risk factors of OS and CSS were included to construct a prognosis prediction model for predicting OS and CSS in CRC patients with distant metastasis. C-index and calibration curve of the training group and validation group showed that the models had acceptable predictive performance and high calibration degree. Furthermore, by comparing CRC tissues with and without liver metastasis, 158 DEGs and top 10 hub genes were screened. Hub genes were mainly concentrated in liver function and coagulation function.

Conclusion

The big data in the public database were counted and transformed into a prognostic evaluation tool that could be applied to the clinic, which has certain clinical significance for the formulation of the treatment plan and prognostic evaluation of CRC patients with distant metastasis.

The role of PDGFRA as a therapeutic target in young colorectal cancer patients

Background

Young patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibit poor prognoses compared to older patients due to the difficulty in early diagnosis and treatment. However, the underlying molecular characteristics are still unclear.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive analysis of 49 CRC patients without hereditary CRC using the whole-exome and RNA sequencing with tumor and matched normal samples. A total of 594 TCGA samples and 4 patient-derived cells were utilized for validation.

Results

Consensus molecular subtype 4 (CMS4) (53.85%) and CMS2 (38.46%) were enriched in the young (≤ 40 years) and old (> 60 years) age groups, respectively. A CMS4-associated gene, platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRA), was significantly upregulated in young patients with CRC (FC = 3.21, p = 0.0001) and was negatively correlated with age (p = 0.0001, R = − 0.526). Moreover, PDGFRA showed a positive co-expression with metastasis-related genes in young CRC patients. In vitro validation confirmed that young patient-derived cells (PDCs) showed an enriched expression of PDGFRA compared to old PDCs and a reduced proliferation rate by knockdown of PDGFRA. Furthermore, young CRC patients were more sensitive to regorafenib, a PDGFRA-targeting drug, than old CRC patients.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that CRC in young patients is associated with CMS4 and PDGFRA. In addition, PDGFRA may serve potential of novel therapeutic strategies and represent a predictive biomarker of response to regorafenib for young CRC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-021-03088-7.

BRAF V600E and Mismatch Repair Proteins Expression in Sporadic Young-onset Colorectal Cancer in Kelantan, Malaysia

Objectives

We sought to determine the immunohistochemistry expression of mismatch repair (MMR) and BRAF V600E proteins in sporadic young-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) and their association with clinicopathological features in the Kelantan population.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of sporadic young-onset CRC over 11 years from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2017 in Kelantan. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were immunohistochemically stained with antibodies for MMR (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2) and BRAF V600E. These expressions were correlated with clinicopathological parameters.

Results

Our patient sample included 31 patients with a mean age of 31.5 years. More than half (61.3%) of the patients were women. The majority presented with abdominal pain (41.9%), and 71.0% had a tumor located on the right side of the colon, with 83.9% being moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The majority of patients presented at stage IV (54.8%). The most frequent pattern was all MMR protein expressions, which constituted patients in the microsatellite stable group (64.5%). Nine (29.0%) were microsatellite instability (MSI-high), and two (6.5%) were MSI-low. Positive BRAF V600E expression was observed in 83.9% of patients. Only histopathological subtypes revealed a significant association with BRAF V600E positive expression (p = 0.015).

Conclusions

The majority of sporadic young-onset CRC presented with abdominal pain and advanced cancer stage. Most were microsatellite stable, and most cases showed positive expressions in all MMR markers and BRAF V600E by immunohistochemistry method. This finding will pave the way for further research on this disease.

Outcomes of young patients diagnosed with locally advanced rectal cancer

Background

The incidence of rectal cancer is higher in the older population. In developed nations, there has been a rise in incidence in young onset colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined the outcomes of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) in younger patients (yRC) compared with older patients, using a retrospective audit.

Methods

All cases of LARC referred to two tertiary referral cancer centres in Western Sydney were examined. Patient demographics, presenting symptoms, treatment, relapse free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were obtained. Under 50 years old was used as the cut-off age for defining yRC.

Results

All 145 consecutive patients were treated for LARC, including 28 in the yRC and 117 in the older patient group. Median follow-up was 54 months. yRC were more likely to complete neoadjuvant therapy (100% vs. 86%; P=0.032) and to undergo more extensive surgical procedures (24% vs. 2%, P<0.0001). yRC were more likely to have microsatellite high (MSI) tumours (30% vs. 4.7%; P=0.003). yRC demonstrated significantly poorer RFS compared with the standard group (HR 2.79; median RFS 4.67 vs. 16.02 months; P=0.023). In the relapsed setting, yRC had poorer PFS compared with the standard group (median PFS 2.66 vs. 9.70, P=0.006, HR 3.04). A difference in OS was also seen between the two groups, with yRC demonstrating poorer OS (median OS 40.46 vs. 58.26 months, HR 3.48, P=0.036).

Conclusions

Patients under 50 years with LARC are more likely to have MSI tumours with a more aggressive disease course and poorer RFS, PFS and OS. Initiatives to improve early detection of these patients may improve outcomes. Further research is necessary to understand this disease and optimise its treatment.

Association of age and cause-special mortality in patients with stage I/ II colon cancer: A population-based competing risk analysis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine the probability and prognostic factors of colon cancer-specific mortality (CCSM) and noncancer-specific mortality (NCSM) for patients with stage I/II colon cancer and evaluate the association of age on cause-specific mortality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 33152 patients with stage I/II colon cancer undergoing surgery between 2004 and 2011. The cumulative incidence of CCSM and NCSM was calculated, and competing risk analysis was performed to investigate prognostic factors for cause-specific mortality.

RESULTS

In patients <50, 50-75, and >75 years of age, 5-year cumulative incidence of CCSM was 5.7%, 7.8%, and 16.1%, respectively (overall, 10.6%); 5-year cumulative incidence of NCSM was 2.2%, 7.1%, and 26.9%, respectively (overall, 13.8%). The probability of CCSM and NCSM increased with advanced age. The 5-year cumulative incidence of CCSM was higher than NCSM in patients <50 years of age, whereas lower in patients >75 years of age. The probability of CCSM and NCSM was similar in patients 50-75 years of age. Competing-risk multivariable analysis demonstrated that increasing age was a strong predictor of CCSM (per year increase, SHR 1.03,95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.04). Age was most predictive of NCSM: (per year increase, SHR 1.08, 95% CI: 1.08-1.08).

CONCLUSION

Age was significantly associated with an increased cumulative incidence of CCSM and NCSM of patients with stage I/II colon cancer underwent surgery. NCSM was a significant competing event and should be adequately considered when performing survival analysis.

High incidence of prolonged rectal bleeding and advanced stage cancer in early-onset colorectal cancer patients

Background: We examined characteristics of early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to identified factors, which may lead to earlier diagnosis. Materials & methods: This is a retrospective study with inclusion criteria: CRC diagnosed between 2012 and 2018 and age at diagnosis <50 years. Results: A total of 209 patients were included (mean age 41.8 years). Of those patients 42.5% had rectal cancer and 37.8% were stage IV at initial diagnosis. Of patients with data available for rectal bleeding history (n = 173), 50.8% presented with rectal bleeding and median time from onset of bleeding to diagnosis was 180 days (interquartile range 60–365), with longer duration noted in advanced cancer. Conclusion: Prolonged rectal bleeding history was noted in a significant proportion of early-onset CRC patients, with longer duration of rectal bleeding noted in stage IV patients. Patients and primary care physicians should be made aware of this finding in order to facilitate timely referral for diagnostic workup.

Clinicopathological features and survival of colorectal cancer patients younger than 50 years: a retrospective comparative study

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease of old age, but its incidence has been rising among younger population compared to older ones. Nevertheless, there is a controversy over survival of younger patients compared to the older ones. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the clinicopathological features and survival of the younger (< 50 years) versus older (≥ 50 years) CRC patients.

RESULTS

The younger and older groups consisted of 39.4% and 60.6% of patients, respectively. Both age groups were comparable regarding the symptom presentation and duration, and pre-operative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The younger patients were diagnosed with a higher proportion of poorly differentiated (14.7% vs. 8.3%; p < 0.001) and more advanced tumors (53.2% vs. 45.9%; p = 0.266). The rectum tumor site was significantly more common among the younger patients (p = 0.021). The overall survival (OS) (p = 0.278), the cancer-specific survival (CSS) (p = 0.233), and the disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.497) did not differ significantly between the two groups. Based on Cox regression model, elevated pre-operative CEA level (HR = 1.41; 95%CI of 1.01-1.97), advanced tumor stage (6.06; 95%CI of 3.03-12.15), and poorly differentiated tumor (HR = 1.69; 95%CI of 1.05-2.71) were associated with decreased survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The younger patients did not have poor prognosis compared to the older ones despite having an advanced tumor stage and a poor tumor differentiation.

Disparities in survival for right-sided vs. left-sided colon cancers in young patients: a study based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1990-2014)

Purpose

To investigate whether young patients exhibit different characteristics and survival according to tumor location and stage using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Patients and methods

Young patients (20–49 years old) with stage I–III colon cancers were identified from the SEER program from 1990 to 2014. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to analyze the data. Subset analyses were also done among different age and stage subgroups.

Results

Of 8197 patients, 3709 (45.2%) had right-sided colon cancers (RCCs). Patients with RCCs were more likely to be male, to be younger, and to have more poorly differentiated and more advanced tumors. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves and univariate survival models revealed that left-sided colon cancers (LCCs) had lower mortality for all stages combined and stage III, but higher mortality for stage II, compared with right-sided tumors. However, multivariate Cox regression models showed no significant survival differences by location for all patients (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86–1.05; P=0.34) or for stage I (adjusted HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 0.82–2.63; P=0.20). Stage II left-sided cancers had higher mortality (adjusted HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.00–1.54; P=0.048), whereas stage III left-sided cancers had lower mortality (adjusted HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77–0.97; P=0.01). For 20- to 39-year-old patients, a significant difference was only found in stage II disease, with a higher mortality for left-sided tumors (adjusted HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.12–2.97; P=0.02). However, for 40- to 49-year-old patients, a significant difference was only found in stage III disease, with a lower mortality for left-sided tumors (adjusted HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72–0.95; P=0.008).

Conclusion

In patients younger than 50 years, there were no significant differences in mortality between RCCs and LCCs for all stages combined after adjusting for multiple clinicopathological features. However, RCCs had lower mortality in stage II (especially in 20- to 39-year-old patients) and higher mortality in stage III (especially in 40- to 49-year-old patients).

Alcohol consumption promotes colorectal carcinoma metastasis via a CCL5-induced and AMPK-pathway-mediated activation of autophagy

There is a definite relationship between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer (CRC) development. We investigated effect of alcohol consumption on CRC patients’ progression and prognosis by utilizing epidemiological data and found patients with alcohol consumption increased risks of tumor-node-metastasis (TNM), organ metastasis and poorer prognosis. Because their tumor tissues displayed increased expression of C-C chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), we hypothesized CCL5 might participate in cancer progression in such patients. Ethanol increased the secretion of CCL5 in two CRC cell lines, HT29 and DLD-1. Treatment with CCL5 directly increased migratory ability of these cells, whereas neutralization or knockdown of CCL5 can partially block alcohol-stimulated migration. We further investigated underlying mechanism of CCL5-induced migration. Our results indicated that effects of CCL5 on migration are mediated by the ability of CCL5 to induce autophagy, a cellular process known to be critical for migration. Using high-throughput sequencing and western blotting, we found induction of autophagy by CCL5 takes place via AMPK pathway. Aforementioned ethanol increases CCL5 secretion, CCL5 activates autophagy through AMPK pathway, and autophagy increases migration was confirmed by experiments with autophagy or AMPK inhibitors. To sum up, our study demonstrates that chronic alcohol consumption may promote metastasis of CRC through CCL5-induced autophagy.

Curative treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer in the young population: is it worth it?

Background

A significant proportion of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) presents with metastatic disease. In younger patients, a more aggressive approach is often adopted in an attempt to achieve cure and improve survival. The aim of this paper is to review the management and outcomes of young patients with metastatic CRC.

Methods

All patients under 50 years diagnosed with CRC in a single institution from January 2007 to December 2015 were reviewed. Patient demographics, details of their treatments, progress and outcomes of treatment were collected for our review.

Results

There were 154 newly diagnosed CRC patients who were <50 years old during the study period. Thirty-three patients (21.4%) had stage IV disease on presentation. Seventeen (51.5%) of these 33 patients were treated with curative intent; 9 (52.9%) of whom underwent upfront surgical resection alone while the remaining 8 (47.1%) patients had neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgical resection. Among the 16 patients who were treated with palliative intent, 9 (56.3%) had surgery while 7 (43.7%) had definitive chemo- or radio-therapy. There was no significant difference in the median survival of patients treated with curative and palliative intent (29 vs. 24 months, P=0.140).

Conclusions

Young CRC patients with stage IV disease typically survive for 2 years upon diagnosis. Those who were treated and underwent surgery with curative intent have a slightly longer but not statistically significant median survival than those treated with palliative intent. The role of aggressive treatment in these young patients with metastatic patients merits further evaluation.

Predictive relevance of lymphovascular invasion in T1 colorectal cancer before endoscopic treatment

BACKGROUND AND AIM

 The depth of tumor invasion is currently the only reliable predictive risk factor for lymph node metastasis before endoscopic treatment for colorectal cancer. However, the most important factor to predict lymph node metastasis has been suggested to be lymphovascular invasion rather than the depth of invasion. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the predictive relevance of lymphovascular invasion before endoscopic treatment.

METHODS

 The data on pT1 colorectal cancers that were resected endoscopically or surgically from 2007 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The cases were categorized into two groups: positive or negative for lymphovascular invasion. The following factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses: age and sex of the patients; location, size, and morphology of the lesion; and depth of invasion.

RESULTS

 The positive and negative groups included 229 and 457 cases, respectively. Younger age ( P  < 0.01), smaller lesion size ( P  = 0.01), non-LST (LST: laterally spreading tumor) ( P  < 0.01), presence of depression ( P  < 0.01), and pT1b ( P  < 0.01) were associated with lymphovascular invasion. In multivariate analysis, younger age (comparing patients aged ≤ 64 years with those aged > 65 years, OR, 1.81; 95 %CI, 1.29 - 2.53), presence of depression (OR, 1.97; CI, 1.40 - 2.77), non-LST features (OR, 1.50; CI, 1.04 - 2.15), and pT1b (OR, 3.08; CI, 1.91 - 4.97) were associated with lymphovascular invasion.

CONCLUSION

 Younger age, presence of depression, T1b, and non-LST are associated with lymphovascular invasion. Therefore, careful pathological diagnosis and surveillance are necessary for lesions demonstrating any of these four factors.

The risk and survival outcome of subsequent primary colorectal cancer after the first primary colorectal cancer: cases from 1973 to 2012

Background

Among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors, how the prior tumor location affects the risk of subsequent primary colorectal cancer (SPCRC) and the outcome of those suffering from SPCRC remain unknown.

Methods

CRC cases diagnosed from 1973 to 2012 were screened for SPCRC development using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The relative risk of SPCRC was estimated using the standardized incidence ratio. Survivals were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression model.

Results

The overall risk of SPCRC increased by 27% in CRC survivors compared to that of the general population. The risk increased in patients with both prior right colon cancer (RCC) and left colon cancer (LCC), and was concentrated in the first 5 years after the prior diagnosis, and among young patients. Among the 6701 SPCRC patients identified, patients with prior RCC were more likely to be elderly, female, and with more low or undifferentiated disease than those with prior LCC or rectal cancer (ReC). The overall survivals differed by both prior tumor location (P < 0.0001) and age (P < 0.0001), and the difference by tumor location remained significant when adjusted or stratified by any other potential prognostic factor except age. The cancer specific survivals differed by age (P < 0.0001) rather than by prior tumor location (P = 0.455).

Conclusions

The overall risk of SPCRC increased among patients with both prior RCC and LCC, but not among those with ReC. The different survival outcomes in CRC survivors suffering from SPCRC were largely explained by the patient age but not by the prior tumor location.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-017-3765-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Chemotherapy Use and Survival Among Young and Middle-Aged Patients With Colon Cancer

Importance

Treatment options for patients with young-onset colon cancer remain to be defined and their effects on prognosis are unclear.

Objective

To investigate receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy by age category (18-49, 50-64, and 65-75 years) and assess whether age differences in chemotherapy matched survival gains among patients diagnosed as having colon cancer in an equal-access health care system.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study was based on linked and consolidated data from the US Department of Defense's Central Cancer Registry and Military Heath System medical claims databases. There were 3143 patients aged 18 to 75 years with histologically confirmed primary colon adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 1998 and 2007. This study was conducted from December 2015 to August 2016.

Exposures

Patients who underwent surgery and postoperative systemic chemotherapy.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome measure of the study was overall survival of patients who only received surgery and those who received both surgery and postoperative systemic chemotherapy.

Results

Of the 3143 patients, 1841 were men (58.6%). Young (18-49 years) and middle-aged (50-64 years) patients were 2 to 8 times more likely to receive postoperative systemic chemotherapy compared with older patients (65-75 years) across all tumor stages. Middle-aged patients with stage I (odds ratio, 5.04; 95% CI, 2.30-11.05) and stage II (odds ratio, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.58-3.72) disease were more likely to receive postoperative chemotherapy compared with older patients. Both groups were more likely to receive multiagent chemotherapy than were older patients (patients aged 18-49 years: odds ratio, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.42-4.32 and patients aged 50-64 years: odds ratio, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.70-4.18). Among patients who received surgery and postoperative systemic chemotherapy, no significant differences were observed in survival among age groups (the 95% CIs of hazard ratios included 1 for young and middle-aged patients compared with older patients for all tumor stages).

Conclusions and Relevance

In an equal-access health care system, we found potential overuse of chemotherapy among young and middle-aged adults with colon cancer. The addition of postoperative systemic chemotherapy did not result in matched survival improvement.

Poor prognosis of young patients with colorectal cancer: a retrospective study

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to explore the survival outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) aged 35 years and younger.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included a total of 995 patients with CRC treated between January 2003 and September 2011. The patients were assorted into the young (aged 18-35 years) and older (aged 36-75 years) groups. The clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of the patients in the young group were compared with those of the patients in the older group for evaluation.

RESULTS

Compared with the older group, a significantly higher number of patients in the young group had right-sided colon cancer (30.9 vs. 19.6%, P = 0.026), high histologic grade tumor (14.7 vs. 6.4%, P = 0.021), and stage III disease (50.0 vs. 35.5%, P = 0.016). In stage III disease, compared with the older group, the patients in the young group had worse survival outcome in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS, P = 0.007), cancer-specific survival (CSS, P = 0.010), and disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.039). Multivariate analysis revealed that age ≤35 years was an independent risk factor in terms of 5-year OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-2.54; P = 0.012), CSS (HR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.15-2.65; P = 0.009), and DFS (HR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.06-2.35; P = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

The young patients with CRC aged 35 years and younger had worse prognosis compared with older patients, especially for stage III disease.

Overall Survival of Elderly Patients Having Surgery for Colorectal Cancer Is Comparable to Younger Patients: Results from a South Asian Population

Introduction

There has been a continuous debate on whether elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) fair worse. The aim of this study is to assess the thirty-day mortality (TDM) and overall survival (OS) of elderly patients undergoing surgery for CRC.

Method

OS between two groups (≥70 versus <70 years) having surgery for CRC was analyzed. Demographics, tumour characteristics, and serological markers were considered as independent factors. Multivariable analysis was done using the Cox proportional hazard model. We also compared overall survival in the elderly versus those <60 and <50 years.

Results

477 patients, 160 elderly (55% male; median age 75, range 70–89) and 317 younger patients (49% male; median age 55, range 16 to 69), were studied. Overall survival in CRC patients ≥70 is comparable to <70 (P = 0.45) and <60 years (P = 0.08). Poor OS was observed in the ≥70 versus <50 years (P = 0.03). TDM in the elderly was poor (P < 0.05). Postoperative cardiac complication was the only determinant affecting survival in the elderly (P = 0.01).

Conclusion

OS in elderly CRC patients having surgery is not worse compared to <70 and <60 years although the TDM was higher. Postoperative cardiac complications significantly affected OS in those ≥70 compared to those <50 years. Chronological age alone should not negatively influence surgical decision-making in the elderly.

[Analysis of histoprognostic factors for the non metastatic rectal cancer in a west Algerian series of 58 cases]

Introduction

L'objectif de notre travail est d'analyser les facteurs histo-pronostiques des cancers du rectum non métastatique opérés au service de chirurgie «A» de Tlemcen à ouest Algérien durant une période de six ans.

Méthodes

Etude rétrospective de 58 patients qui avait un adénocarcinome rectal. Le critère de jugement était la survie. Les paramètres étudiés, le sexe, l’âge, stade tumoral, et les récidives tumorales.

Résultats

L’âge moyen était de 58 ans. Avec 52% d'hommes contre 48% femmes avec sex-ratio (1,08). Le siège tumoral était: moyen rectum avec 41,37%, 34,48% au bas rectum et dans 24,13% au haut rectum. La classification TNM avec 17,65% au stade I, 18,61% au stade II, 53, 44% au stade III et 7,84% au stade IV. La survie médiane globale était de 40 mois ±2,937 mois. La survie en fonction du stade tumoral, le stade III et IV avait un faible taux de survie (19%) a 3 ans contre le stade I, II avait un taux de survie de (75%) (P = 0,000) (IC 95%). Les patients avec récidives tumorales avaient un taux de survie faible à 3 ans par rapport à ceux n'ayant pas eu de récidive (30,85% Vs 64,30% P = 0,043).

Conclusion

Dans cette série, l’étude uni varié des différents facteurs pronostiques conditionnant la survie n'a permis de retenir que trois facteurs influençant la survie, à savoir la taille tumorale, le stade, et les récidives tumorales. En analyse multi variée en utilisant le modèle Cox un seul facteur été retenu la récidive tumorale.

Colorectal cancer in the young, many questions, few answers

At a time where the incidence of colorectal cancer, a disease predominantly of developed nations, is showing a decline in those 50 years of age and older, data from the West is showing a rising incidence of this cancer in young individuals. Central to this has been the 75% increase in rectal cancer incidence in the last four decades. Furthermore, predictive data based on mathematical modelling indicates a 124 percent rise in the incidence of rectal cancer by the year 2030 - a statistic that calls for collective global thought and action. While predominance of colorectal cancer (CRC) is likely to be in that part of the large bowel distal to the splenic flexure, which makes flexible sigmoidoscopic examination an ideal screening tool, the cost and benefit of mass screening in young people remain unknown. In countries where the incidence of young CRC is as high as 35% to 50%, the available data do not seem to indicate that the disease in young people is one of high red meat consuming nations only. Improvement in our understanding of genetic pathways in the aetiology of CRC, chiefly of the MSI, CIN and CIMP pathway, supports the notion that up to 30% of CRC is genetic, and may reflect a familial trait or environmentally induced changes. However, a number of other germline and somatic mutations, some of which remain unidentified, may play a role in the genesis of this cancer and stand in the way of a clear understanding of CRC in the young. Clinically, a proportion of young persons with CRC die early after curative surgery, presumably from aggressive tumour biology, compared with the majority in whom survival after operation will remain unchanged for five years or greater. The challenge in the future will be to determine, by genetic fingerprinting or otherwise, those at risk of developing CRC and the determinants of survival in those who develop CRC. Ultimately, prevention and early detection, just like for those over 50 years with CRC, will determine the outcome of CRC in young persons. At present, aside from those with an established familial tendency, there is no consensus on screening young persons who may be at risk. However, increasing awareness of this cancer in the young and the established benefit of prevention in older persons, must be a message that should be communicated with medical students, primary health care personnel and first contact doctors. The latter constitutes a formidable challenge.

Effect of Age on Survival Outcome in Operated and Non-Operated Patients with Colon Cancer: A Population-Based Study

Objective

To know the effect of age on survival outcome in operated and non-operated patients with colon cancer.

Methods

From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we identified 123,356 patients with colon cancer who were diagnosed between 1996 and 2005, grouped them as older or younger than 40 years and analyzed their 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) data, along with some risk factors, using Kaplan–Meier methods and multivariable Cox regression models.

Results

The younger group had significantly higher pathological grades (P<0.001), more mucinous and signet-ring histology (P<0.001), advanced AJCC stage (P<0.001), and were more likely to undergo surgery (P<0.001). For surgically treated patients, age did not significantly affect 5-year CSS (younger: 66.7%; older: 67.3%; P = 0.86). Further analysis showed that age was an independent prognostic factor in stage I–IV disease (stage I: P = 0.001; P<0.001 for stages II–IV, in both uni- and multivariate analyses), but not for patients with unknown disease stage (P = 0.52). For non-surgically treated patients, age significantly affected 5-year CSS (younger: 16.2%; older: 12.9%; P<0.001) in univariate analysis; and was an independent prognostic factor (P<0.001) in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

The CSS rate for younger CC patients was at least as high as for older patients, although they presented with higher proportions of unfavorable factors and more advanced disease.

Frequent BRAF mutation in early-onset colorectal cancer in Taiwan: association with distinct clinicopathological and molecular features and poor clinical outcome

BACKGROUND

Occurrence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) under the age of 30 is very rare and the molecular characteristics are poorly understood. A low BRAF mutation rate has been noted in several studies of EOCRC from Western countries.

AIMS

To determine the clinicopathological and molecular features of EOCRCs in Taiwan.

METHODS

KRAS/BRAF gene mutation, mismatch repair protein immunohistochemistry, microsatellite instability and CpG island methylation phenotype analyses were examined to determine the molecular characteristics of EOCRC.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients with EOCRC at our hospital between 2000 and 2012 were studied. BRAF mutation was detected in 11 of the 59 tumours analysed (19%) and the rate was significantly higher than the overall BRAF mutation rate of colorectal cancer in patients older than 30 years (p<0.001). Clinically, 9 of 11 patients with BRAF-mutated tumours presented with advanced-stage diseases and they presented significantly more frequently with stage IV disease than those with BRAF wild-type tumours (p=0.042). Histologically, BRAF mutation was associated with a poorly differentiated histology, a serrated precursor polyp and focal signet ring cell differentiation (p=0.042, 0.008 and 0.008, respectively). None of the BRAF-mutated tumours was mismatch repair protein-deficient and/or microsatellite instability-high. Overall survival of patients with BRAF-mutated tumours was significantly worse than that of patients with BRAF wild-type tumours, despite adjustment for the disease stages and tumour differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

BRAF mutation was frequent in EOCRCs in Taiwan and was associated with distinct clinicopathological and molecular features.

Intestinal obstruction: predictor of poor prognosis in colorectal carcinoma?

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between intestinal obstruction and the prognosis of colorectal carcinoma.

METHODS

Data pertaining to 4,501 colorectal carcinoma patients were extracted from the national colorectal registry and analysed. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare the survival rate between patients with intestinal obstruction and those without intestinal obstruction. The p-values<0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Simple Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the crude hazard ratio of mortality from colorectal cancer.

RESULTS

Intestinal obstruction was reported in more than 13% of patients. The 3-year survival rate after treatment was 48.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.9 to 52.8) for patients with intestinal obstruction (n=593) and 54.9% (95% CI, 53.1 to 56.6) for patients without intestinal obstruction (n=3,908). The 5-year survival rate for patients with intestinal obstruction was 37.3% (95% CI, 31.9 to 42.8), which was lower than that of patients without intestinal obstruction (45.6%; 95% CI, 43.5 to 47.7). After adjusting the hazard ratio for other prognostic variables, intestinal obstruction had a statistically significant negative correlation with the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.22 (p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of intestinal obstruction is associated with a lower survival rate among colorectal cancer patients.

Solitary osseous metastasis of rectal carcinoma masquerading as osteogenic sarcoma on post-chemotherapy imaging: a case report

Solitary metastases from colorectal carcinoma in the absence of hepatic or pulmonary metastases are rare. These can have a diverse imaging appearance, particularly after chemotherapy. It is important identify patients with solitary skeletal metastases, as they have a better prognosis than those with multiple skeletal or visceral metastases. We describe an unusual case of a solitary metastasis to the femur in a case of colon carcinoma that went undiagnosed and later presented with imaging features of osteogenic sarcoma.

Rising incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer in Australia over two decades: report and review

The average age at diagnosis for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Australia is 69, and the age-specific incidence rises rapidly after age 50 years. The incidence has stabilized or is declining in older age groups in Australia during recent decades, possibly related to the increased uptake of screening and high-risk surveillance. In the same time frame, a rising incidence of CRC in younger adults has been well-documented in the United States. This rise in incidence in the young has not been reported from other countries that share long-term exposure to westernised urban lifestyles. Using data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, we examined trends in national incidence rates for CRC under age 50 years and observed that rates in people under age 40 years have been rising for the last two decades. We further performed a review of the literature regarding CRC in young adults to outline the extent of current understanding, explore potential risk factors such as obesity, alcohol, and sedentary lifestyles, and to identify the questions remaining to be addressed. Although absolute numbers might not justify a population screening approach, the dispersal of young adults with CRC across the primary health-care system decreases probability of their recognition. Patient and physician awareness, aided by stool and emerging blood-screening tests and risk profiling tools, have the potential to aid in identification of those young adults who would most benefit from a colonoscopy through early detection of CRCs or by removal of advanced polyps.

Young patients (≤ 35 years old) with colorectal cancer have worse outcomes due to more advanced disease: a 30-year retrospective review

An appropriate cutoff of age and the impact of age on colorectal cancer outcomes remain unclear and need to be explored, particularly in China.In total, 2460 colorectal cancer patients were studied retrospectively. All patients were divided into 6 groups according to their ages at the time of diagnosis: ≤ 30, 31 to 35, 36 to 40, 41 to 45, 46 to 50, and ≥ 50 years. A suitable cutoff age for defining young adult colorectal cancer was explored according to the distribution of survival in each group. Clinical characteristics and prognosis between the young adult group and the older group were then compared.According to the survival curves for each group, 35 years old was considered a suitable cutoff age for defining young adult colorectal cancer. There were 140 (5.7%) and 2320 (94.3%) cases in the young adult and older groups, respectively. The proportion of stage III-IV tumors was significantly higher in the young adult group (69.3%) than in the older group (46.4%) (P  =  0.000). The univariate analysis showed that the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and the 10-year OS rate in the young adult group were 48.9% and 38.6%, respectively, whereas in the older group, they were 63.6% and 56.9%, respectively. The young adult group had a worse prognosis (P  =  0.000). The multivariate analysis showed that age was not an independent prognostic factor (relative risk 0.787, P  =  0.062). After adjusting for tumor stage, the hazard proportion of death in the young adult group increased by 27.6%, but this difference was not significant (P  =  0.053). Stratified analyses showed that the young adults with stage IV tumors had a worse survival rate (P  =  0.046).Patients ≤ 35 years who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer had a worse prognosis because of a higher proportion of advanced stage tumors. When stage-to-stage analysis was performed, it was found that young adult colorectal cancer patients had a worse outcome only if they had stage IV tumors.

Segmental versus extended resection for sporadic colorectal cancer in young patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Guidelines on the management of colon cancer state that extensive colectomy should be "considered" for patients of young age (<50). This study aimed to compare the risk of metachronous cancer, overall recurrence and mortality between segmental and extended colon resections in patients under the age of 50 with sporadic CRC.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of patients age <50 undergoing surgery for CRC from 1991 to 2009. Patients were divided into two groups based on extent of resection: segmental versus extended. The primary outcomes analyzed were metachronous tumors, disease recurrence, and overall survival.

RESULTS

Two hundred seventy one patients underwent segmental resection and 30 underwent extended resection. 3.3% in the segmental resection group developed metachronous CRC versus 0% in the extended resection group (P = 0.61). There was no significant difference in the risk of recurrence or mortality for those who underwent a segmental resection compared to those with an extended resection. In a regression model, type of surgery was not an independent risk factor for recurrence or mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Extended colectomy for sporadic CRC in patients younger than 50 does not improve disease-free or overall survival. Further study to determine if segmental resection is appropriate oncologic treatment is warranted.

Better long-term survival in young patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer after surgery, an analysis of 69,835 patients in SEER database

Objective

To compare the long-term survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) in young patients with elderly ones.

Methods

Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) population-based data, we identified 69,835 patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1988 and December 31, 2003 treated with surgery. Patients were divided into young (40 years and under) and elderly groups (over 40 years of age). Five-year cancer specific survival data were obtained. Kaplan-Meier methods were adopted and multivariable Cox regression models were built for the analysis of long-term survival outcomes and risk factors.

Results

Young patients showed significantly higher pathological grading (p<0.001), more cases of mucinous and signet-ring histological type (p<0.001), later AJCC stage (p<0.001), more lymph nodes (≥12 nodes) dissected (p<0.001) and higher metastatic lymph node ratio (p<0.001). The 5-year colorectal cancer specific survival rates were 78.6% in young group and 75.3% in elderly group, which had significant difference in both univariate and multivariate analysis (P<0.001). Further analysis showed this significant difference only existed in stage II and III patients.

Conclusions

Compared with elderly patients, young patients with colorectal cancer treated with surgery appear to have unique characteristics and a higher cancer specific survival rate although they presented with higher proportions of unfavorable biological behavior as well as advanced stage disease.

Clinical features and outcome of sporadic colorectal carcinoma in young patients: a cross-sectional analysis from a developing country

Background. Early onset colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is rare and has been hypothesized to be a biologically and clinically distinct entity personifying aggressive disease and worse survival. Methods. Data for 131 patients was collected by retrospective chart review. Cox proportional hazard model was used to compute prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results. Early onset sporadic CRC accounted for 32% of all CRC treated in the specified time period. The mean age was 33.3 ± 7.9 years and the male to female ratio was 2 : 1. Colon and rectal cancers accounted for 55% and 45% of patients, respectively. 96% of rectal carcinoma patients received appropriate therapy as opposed to 65% of colon cancers. On multivariable analysis, appropriate reception of therapy (PR 4.99; 95% CI, 1.21–20.6) and signet ring morphology (PR 2.40; 95% CI, 1.33–4.32) were significantly associated with rectal cancers as opposed to colon cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a trend towards inferior survival for rectal carcinoma 2 years after diagnosis. Conclusion.A high prevalence of early onset CRC was noted in the study. A trend towards inferior survival was seen in patients with rectal cancer. This finding raises the possibility of rectal carcinoma being an aggressive subset of young CRC.

The influence of age on the outcome of treatment of elderly patients with colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVES

We investigated factors associated with post-operative mortality rates in those aged ≥60, and in particular, the relative survival of age bands within this group.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of a large comprehensive cohort of the elderly treated for colorectal cancer in the North of England during 1998-2003. We investigated seven risk factors associated with 30-day and 6-month post-operative mortality from colorectal surgery.

RESULTS

6083 patients aged ≥60 underwent colorectal cancer surgery. Approximately 8% had died within 30 days of surgery and 17% had died within 6 months. Thirty-day mortality was greater in the elderly (80 years+) compared to the young-old (60-69 years) (adjusted OR: 3.2, 95% CI 2.4 to 4.4). There was neither a significant difference between the proportions offered curative resections across the age-groups, nor was there a significant association between intent of surgery and 30-day mortality. Six-month mortality rose with age, but the association was stronger in those having curative surgery (adjusted OR: 3.8, 95% CI 2.8 to 5.2) than palliative surgery (adjusted OR: 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.1). Mortality from emergency surgery at 6-months was particularly high in elderly females.

CONCLUSIONS

This large population study adds more weight to the findings that age itself is a major risk factor in the outcome of colorectal surgery in elderly and that 30-day mortality underestimates the longer-term outcome in this age group. There was no significant association between radical resections and 30-day mortality in elderly patients compared to the younger age groups; however, a disproportionately higher mortality at 6 months was seen in elderly female patients.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of young patients with colorectal cancer in Eastern China

AIM: To explore the clinical characteristics and prognosis of young patients with colorectal cancer patients in Eastern China.

METHODS: A total of 1335 patients with colorectal cancer treated from December 1985 to December 2005 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were studied retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups, a younger group (aged ≤ 30 years) and an older group (aged > 30 years), and comparison was made in the clinical characteristics and prognosis between the two groups. Chi-square test was used for data analysis of all categorical variables, and overall survival (OS) was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. A multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox model.

RESULTS: There were 42 (3.1%) and 1293 (96.9%) cases in the younger group and older group, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the 5- and 10-year OS in the younger group were 33.9% and 26.1%, respectively, and those in the older group were 60.1% and 52.2%, respectively. Younger group had poor survival (χ² = 14.146, P = 0.000). Multivariate analysis revealed that age was not a dependent factor for prognosis (OR = 0.866, 95%CI: 0.592-1.269, P = 0.461). Stratified analysis indicated that in stage III and IV disease, the 5- and 10-year OS were 24.6% and 14.8% in the younger group, and 40.4% and 33.3% in the older group, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (χ² = 5.101, P = 0.024). In the subgroup of radical surgery, the 5- and 10-year OS were 44.3% and 34.2% in the younger group, and 69.6% and 60.5% in the older group, with a difference being significant between the two groups (χ² = 7.830, P = 0.005).

CONCLUSION: Compared with older patients, the younger patients have lower survival, especially in the subgroups of stage III and IV disease and radical surgery.

miR-429 identified by dynamic transcriptome analysis is a new candidate biomarker for colorectal cancer prognosis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant gastrointestinal cancer. Efforts for preventive and personalized medicine have intensified in the last decade with attention to novel forms of biomarkers. In the present study, microRNA and genetic analyses were performed in tandem for differential transcriptome profiling between primary tumors with or without nodes or distant metastases. Serial Test Cluster (STC) analysis demonstrated that 20 genes and two microRNAs showed distinctive expression patterns associated with the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) stage. The selected target genes were characterized by GO and Pathway analysis. A microRNA-target gene network analysis showed that miR-429 resided in the center of the network, indicating that miR-429 might serve important roles in the development of CRC. Real-time PCR and tissue microarrays showed that miR-429 had a dynamic expression pattern during the CRC progression stage, and was significantly downregulated in stage II and stage III clinical progression. The low expression of miR-429 was correlated with poor prognosis for CRC. Taken together, miR-429 warrant further clinical translation research as a candidate biomarker for CRC prognosis. Additional downstream targets and attendant gene function also need to be discerned to design a sound critical path to personalized medicine for persons susceptible to, or diagnosed with CRC.

Colorectal cancer in patients under 50 years of age: A retrospective analysis of two institutions' experience

AIM: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients under 50 years of age across two institutions.

METHODS: Records of patients under age 50 years of age who had CRC surgery over a 16 year period were assessed at two institutions. The following documents where reviewed: admission notes, operative notes, and discharge summaries. The main study variables included: age, presenting symptoms, family history, tumor location, operation, stage/differentiation of disease, and post operative complications. Stage of disease was classified according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system: tumor depth; node status; and metastases.

RESULTS: CRC was found in 180 patients under age 50 years (87 females, 93 males; mean age 41.4 ± 6.2 years). Young patients accounted for 11.2% of cases during a 6 year period for which the full data set was available. Eight percent had a 1^st degree and 12% a 2^nd degree family CRC history. Almost all patients (94%) were symptomatic at diagnosis; common symptoms included: bleeding (59%), obstruction (9%), and abdominal/rectal pain (35%). Evaluation was often delayed and bleeding frequently attributed to hemorrhoids. Advanced stage CRC (Stage 3 or 4) was noted in 53% of patients. Most tumors were distal to the splenic flexure (77%) and 39% involved the rectum. Most patients (95%) had segmental resections; 6 patients had subtotal/total colectomy. Poorly differentiated tumors were noted in 12% and mucinous lesions in 19% of patients of which most had Stage 3 or 4 disease. Twenty-two patients (13%) developed recurrence and/or progression of disease to date. Three patients (ages 42, 42 and 49 years) went on to develop metachronous primary colon cancers within 3 to 4 years of their initial resection.

CONCLUSION: CRC was common in young patients with no family history. Young patients with symptoms merit a timely evaluation to avoid presentation with late stage CRC.

[Colorectal carcinoma under the age of 50 years]

INTRODUCTION

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death in Hungary.

AIM

The authors examined retrospectively the ratio and the clinical course of patients under the age of 50 years operated by themselves between January, 2006 and May, 2012.

METHOD

During this period of time 667 patients underwent surgery for colorectal carcinoma and 44 (6.6%) were less than 50 years old. 22.2% of the operations were performed for emergency reasons. The surgical technique, TNM stage, differentiation state and localization of the tumours were analyzed as well as the histological types with unfavourable prognosis. In order to analyse risk factors a questionnaire was sent to patients of young age group.

RESULTS

The majority of patients, including those under 50 years of age were diagnosed as having TNM stages III and IV. Only half of the patients returned the questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to a relatively low response rate, the importance of risk factors for colorectal carcinoma in patients under 50 years of age remains to be further investigated.

Predictors of Colorectal Cancer Survival in Golestan, Iran: A Population-based Study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to investigate factors associated with colorectal cancer survival in Golestan, Iran.

METHODS

We used a population based cancer registry to recruit study subjects. All patients registered since 2004 were contacted and data were collected using structured questionnaires and trained interviewers. All the existing evidences to determine the stage of the cancer were also collected. The time from first diagnosis to death was compared in patients according to their stage of cancer using the Kaplan-Meir method. A Cox proportional hazard model was built to examine their survival experience by taking into account other covariates.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 345 subjects, 227 were traced. Median age of the subjects was 54 and more than 42% were under 50 years old. We found 132 deaths among these patients, 5 of which were non-colorectal related deaths. The median survival time for the entire cohort was 3.56 years. A borderline significant difference in survival experience was detected for ethnicity (log rank test, p=0.053). Using Cox proportional hazard modeling, only cancer stage remained significantly associated with time of death in the final model.

CONCLUSIONS

Colorectal cancer occurs at a younger age among people living in Golestan province. A very young age at presentation and what appears to be a high proportion of patients presenting with late stage in this area suggest this population might benefit substantially from early diagnoses by introducing age adapted screening programs.

Evidence for possible non-canonical pathway(s) driven early-onset colorectal cancer in India

Two genetic instability pathways viz. chromosomal instability, driven primarily by APC mutation induced deregulated Wnt signaling, and microsatellite instability (MSI) caused by mismatch repair (MMR) inactivation, together account for >90% of late-onset colorectal cancer (CRC). Our understanding of early-onset sporadic CRC is however comparatively limited. In addition, most seminal studies have been performed in the western population and analyses of tumorigenesis pathway(s) causing CRC in developing nations have been rare. We performed a comparative analysis of early and late-onset CRC from India with respect to common genetic aberrations including Wnt, KRAS, and p53 (constituting the classical CRC progression sequence) in addition to MSI. Our results revealed the absence of Wnt and MSI in a significant proportion of early-onset as against late-onset CRC in India. In addition, KRAS mutation frequency was significantly lower in early-onset CRC indicating that a significant proportion of CRC in India may follow tumorigenesis pathways distinct from the classical CRC progression sequence. Our study has therefore revealed the possible existence of non-canonical tumorigenesis pathways in early-onset CRC in India.

Histopathologic characteristics and short-term outcomes of colorectal cancer in young Tunisian patients: one center's experience

INTRODUCTION

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is generally a disease of persons older than 40 years. Concerning younger patients, controversies still exist regarding features and prognosis of CRC. We performed this study to characterise CRC in young patients (≤ 40 years) as well as to evaluate short-term outcome in comparison with older patients (>40 years) with CRC.

METHODS

Clinical and histopathological parameters of 40 patients aged 40 years or less were compared with 240 patients aged more than 40 years.

RESULTS

In young patients, the minority suffered from hereditary cancer syndromes (0.4%). Furthermore, up to 87% of young patients denied any cancers in their families. Compared with older patients, young patients had more mucinous adenocarcinomas (32.5% vs. 11.5%; p=0.02), more venous invasion (p=0.021), more perineural invasion (p=0.028). For grading (p=0.42), lymphatic invasion (p=0.17) and tumor sites (p=0.46), no significant differences between young and older patients were found. Young patients had less post operative morbidity (p=0.039), less post operative mortality (0.029). Young and older patients had the same overall 1-year survival rates (p=0.24), and the same cancer-related 1-year survival rates (p=0.1).

CONCLUSION

Tunisian patients present with colorectal cancer at a more advanced stage of the disease at younger ages compared to developed countries. The early detection of CRC followed by a sufficient oncologic treatment is crucial regardless of age. It is mandatory for all patients with suspicious symptoms to undergo early adequate diagnoses.