Colorectal cancer in young adults: Experience of the medical oncology department of fez

Abstract

Author(s): Youssef Elhaitmy*, Soukaina El Anssari, Lamiae Amaadour, Karima Oualla, Zineb Benbrahim, Samia Arifi and Nawfel Mellas

Sporadic Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is usually diagnosed after the age of 60, and the current new surveillance guidelines only concern patients over the age of 50. However, an increased incidence of CRC in patients under 40 years of age has been described in many studies. This effect is attributed to molecular features and low suspicion of CRC in young symptomatic individuals. Besides that, knowledge of the differential diagnosis with CRC related to hereditary syndromes is important to provide treatment and adequate family screening. The evaluation of young adults must be very precise in order to avoid late diagnoses and consequently the increase in metastatic stages. The aim of our study is to describe the epidemiological characteristics as well as the differences in the criteria clinic-pathological and molecular aspects of young patients. This is a retrospective study of young patients with colorectal cancer aged <45 years and treated at the medical oncology department of Fez over a period from December 2009 to December 2020. Here, we review the changing epidemiology of CRC, tumour molecular features, and potential explanations for the increasing incidence of colorectal neoplasia in young individuals, which impact approaches to young patients with CRC treatment and prevention.

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