Differences in clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer between younger and elderly patients: An analysis of 322 patients from a single institution

Chia Lin Chou, Shih Ching Chang, Tzu Chen Lin, Wei Shone Chen, Jeng Kae Jiang, Huann Sheng Wang, Shung Haur Yang, Wen Yih Liang, Jen Kou Lin*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) of different onset ages is controversial. Methods: Data were obtained from a prospective database at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. There were 2,738 newly diagnosed patients with CRC from 2001 to 2006. Two extreme age groups, younger (≤40 years) and elderly (<80 years), were analyzed to compare clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis after exclusion of specific cancer syndrome. Results: A total of 322 patients were enrolled in this prospective study. The younger group consisted of 69 patients with mean age of 33.5 years, and the elderly group consisted of 253 patients with mean age of 83.4 years. Younger patients had a higher incidence of mucinous cell type (14.5% vs 6.3%, P =.05), poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (26.1% vs 6.3%, P <.001), more advanced disease (82.6% vs 41.9%, P <.001), poorer disease-free survival (67.2% vs 79.3%, P =.048), and cancer-specific survival (44.1% vs 73.1%, P <.001) than elderly patients. Conclusions: In patients with CRC of younger onset, without relevant predisposing risk factors, younger patients have more advanced stages of disease, more aggressive histopathologic characteristics, and poorer prognoses compared with older patients.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)574-582
Number of pages9
JournalAmerican Journal of Surgery
Volume202
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2011

Keywords

  • Age
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Prognosis

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