title: Outcome of rectal cancer in patients aged 30 years or less in the Pakistani population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of rectal cancer is increasing in younger age groups. Limited data is available regarding survival outcome in younger patients with conflicting results from western world. The goal of this study was to determine survival in patients with rectal cancer<30 years of age and compare it with their older counterparts in the Pakistani population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review of patients operated for rectal adenocarcinoma between January 2005 and December 2010 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups, Group 1 aged ≤30 years and Group 2 aged >30 years. Patient characteristics, surgical procedure, histopathological details and number of loco-regional and distant failures were compared. Expected 5 year survival was calculated using Kaplan Meier curves and significance was determined using the Log rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 38 patients in group 1 and 144 in group 2. A significantly high number of younger patients presented with poorly differentiated histology (44.7% vs 9.7%) (p=0.0001) and advanced pathological stage (63.1% vs 38.1%) (p=0.04). Predicted overall 5 year survival was 38% versus 57% in groups I and II, respectively (p=0.05). Disease free survival was 37% versus 52% and was significantly different (p=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early onset rectal cancer is associated with poor pathological features and a worse outcome in Pakistani population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan E-mail : Abubakar.hafeez@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: Abu Bakar Hafeez
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khattak
authors.forename: Aamir Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.forename: Ather Saeed
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kazmi
authors.forename: Aarif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jamshed
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate