Particularities of colorectal cancer in young people

The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) in young people under the age of 50 is rising sharply. Genetic syndromes are responsible for a minority of cases, while the majority of patients have a sporadic form involving a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The aim of our study was to identify the epidemiological and clinical features of early-onset CRC. We conducted a single-center, retrospective, comparative study over a seven-year period, including all patients diagnosed with CRC. Patients were divided into two groups according to their age at diagnosis and compared with each other: = 50 years (G2). We included 180 patients, of whom more than a quarter (26.1%) were under 50 years of age. In this population, rectal localization was predominant, and diagnosis was often made at an advanced stage of the disease.