Open AccessDifferent disease characteristics in young patients with colorectal cancer: a large retrospective study in a city in Romania
Author(s) -
Adelina Gheju,
Aura Jurescu,
Sorina Tăban,
Diana Al-Jobory,
Fulger Lazăr,
Alis Dema
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of international medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1473-2300
pISSN - 0300-0605
DOI - 10.1177/03000605211016630
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , colorectal cancer , malignancy , disease , stage (stratigraphy) , cancer , retrospective cohort study , lung cancer , pathological , paleontology , physics , optics , biology
Objective In 2018, colorectal cancer (CRC) was the second most frequent malignancy in Romania after lung cancer. Although CRC is typically encountered in patients >50 years old, CRC's global incidence among younger adults has been increasing. We aimed to compare the disease characteristics of patients with CRC aged ≤50 years with those >50 years old.Methods We retrospectively evaluated data from patients with CRC who underwent standard surgery at “Pius Brinzeu” Emergency County Hospital, Timisoara, Romania. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (patients ≤50 years old) and Group 2 (patients >50 years old). Six parameters were analyzed (sex, residence location, age, tumor localization, microscopic findings, pathological staging).Results Data on age-related CRC were available for 1380 patients treated from January 2012 to December 2018. Group 1 included 120 patients while group 2 included 1260 patients. Significantly more Group 1 patients presented with advanced CRC compared with Group 2 patients (94.2% vs. 87.4%). Furthermore, CRC in younger adults was more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage.Conclusions Monitoring the CRC incidence in younger adults is essential to assess whether screening practices require changes and to raise awareness among clinicians of the increasing CRC incidence among younger patients.