Characteristics and long-term survival of colorectal cancer patients aged 44 years and younger.

BACKGROUND

This study was to investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients aged 44 years and younger.

METHODS

Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained CRC database and divided into two groups by age: younger and older group (≤44 and >44 years). Clinicopathologic characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared.

RESULTS

There were 530 patients aged ≤44 years at diagnosis. More patients in the younger group had a family history of CRC compared with older patients. Younger patients were more likely than older patients to have larger tumours, infiltrative growth type tumours, poorly differentiated tumours, mucinous and signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma, and advanced TNM stages. Compared to older patients, more younger patients received chemotherapy and died of cancer-related causes. Overall survival, disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival of younger patients were comparable to older patients. Blood transfusion, TNM stage, histological grade and disease recurrence were independently associated with survival in the younger group.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite younger patients having unfavourable clinicopathologic features, younger age at diagnosis of CRC appears to be associated with similar oncologic outcomes as compared to older patients.