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Colorectal cancer (CRC) in adolescents and young adults is potentially devastating. To describe the clinical and molecular features of CRC in this age group, investigators used cancer and pathology registries in the Netherlands to characterize individuals aged 25 years of age or younger who were diagnosed with CRC or appendiceal cancer between 2000 and 2017.
The findings were as follows:
139 patients with CRC were identified (mean age, 22 years; range 12–25); incidence was 8 cases per year, on average.
Cancers were distributed roughly equally among the distal colon (34%), the proximal colon (31%) and the rectum (31%).
Most CRCs at presentation were stage III (40%) or stage IV (25%); 5-year survival was poorest for patients with stage-IV disease…