Colorectal cancer: are the “young” being overlooked?

Young‐onset colorectal cancer in New South Wales: a population‐based study

“…Low socio‐economic status and urban residence, in addition to migration to high risk countries, have all been identified as risk factors for CRC 3 , 17 . Patients with yCRC were more likely to present with greater spread of disease at diagnosis, with 22% having distant disease, consistent with studies that also found that younger patients had often had symptoms for several months 18 , 19 . We were unable to determine the prevalence of symptoms in patients with yCRC, but more than 70% of tumours were distal to the splenic flexure and 34% were in the rectum, consistent with findings of previous studies, 7 including one in Australia 10 .…”

Rising Incidence of Rectal Carcinoma in the Young Age “Is it A Concern?" An Indian Perspective

“…This difference could have been the result of ignorance among people about hereditary linkage of cancer and many cancers going unnoticed and untreated in the past. Consistent with our study, rectal carcinoma in young patients has been seen to present in advanced stages with rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, and alterations in bowel habits [17]. In our data, 70.7% of the young had stage III disease at diagnosis, while only 48.2% of their older counterparts presented with this stage.…”

A 15-year-old Nepali boy with metastasised colorectal cancer

“…Though we do not suggest the implementation of a large-scale screening intervention for CRC in young patients with no family history of the disease, we do encourage educating healthcare professionals and the population at large on its symptomatic presentation, especially in regions of the world where CRC is on the rise in the younger population. Consistent with our patient’s presentation, the three main reported symptoms in young patients with CRC are rectal bleeding, abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits 45. Physical examination, flexible sigmoidoscopy, digital rectal exam and further work-up should be made available to symptomatic patients with or without family history of colorectal cancer.…”