title: Characteristics and long-term survival of colorectal cancer patients aged 44 years and younger.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was to investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients aged 44 years and younger.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained CRC database and divided into two groups by age: younger and older group (≤44 and >44 years). Clinicopathologic characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 530 patients aged ≤44 years at diagnosis. More patients in the younger group had a family history of CRC compared with older patients. Younger patients were more likely than older patients to have larger tumours, infiltrative growth type tumours, poorly differentiated tumours, mucinous and signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma, and advanced TNM stages. Compared to older patients, more younger patients received chemotherapy and died of cancer-related causes. Overall survival, disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival of younger patients were comparable to older patients. Blood transfusion, TNM stage, histological grade and disease recurrence were independently associated with survival in the younger group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite younger patients having unfavourable clinicopathologic features, younger age at diagnosis of CRC appears to be associated with similar oncologic outcomes as compared to older patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (Guangdong Gastrointestinal and Anal Hospital), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zuli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Guanfu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Junsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis