Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological patterns and survival outcomes of young-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) in Malaysia. Methods: The study consisted of 206 patients with young-onset CRC (age < 50 years at diagnosis) and 1,921 patients with late-onset CRC (age ≥ 50 years at diagnosis) diagnosed during 2002–2016. The clinicopathological characteristics of patients with young-onset CRC were compared with those of patients with late-onset CRC during 2009–2013. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to determine the overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) in these patients. Results: The overall proportion of young-onset CRC was 10.7%. Mean age for young-onset CRC was 39.5 ± 7.4 years, with male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1.0. There were more Malay patients with young-onset CRC than late-onset CRC (44.0% vs. 19.9%, p = 0.004). Most CRC were diagnosed at advanced stage in both groups. However, young-onset CRC showed more aggressive tumour characteristics, such as poorer differentiation and mucinous subtype. Despite such differences, OS and DSS in both groups were similar (five-year OS for young-onset CRC vs. late-onset CRC: 44.2% vs. 49.0%, p = 0.40; five-year DSS for young-onset CRC vs. late-onset CRC: 48.8% vs. 57.6%, p = 0.53; mean survival of young-onset CRC vs. late-onset CRC: 4.9 years vs. 5.4 years, p = 0.15). Advanced stage at diagnosis and treatment modality were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: The unique ethnic and histological differences between patients with young- and late-onset CRC suggest that young-onset CRC may represent a distinct entity. However, despite such differences, prognosis between both groups were equivalent.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.