Colorectal carcinoma in young females

BACKGROUND: We sought to study the clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer in young female patients. We also wanted to determine the association of colorectal cancer with anemia in these female patients and, finally, to determine the effect of gender on prognosis in young patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all young patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1982 and 1999 in two teaching hospitals in New York City. RESULTS: A total of 3,546 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed. Sixty-one (1.63%) of these patients were young patients and 32 (0.85%) were female. Young refers to all patients in the study who were younger than 40 years of age. The clinical presentation and mean age at presentation were very similar in both male and female patients. At presentation, 87.5% of female patients had anemia compared with only 69% of male patients. Males had a statistically significant higher mean hemoglobin level compared with females (12.87 versus 10.29 g) at P = 0.0001. Seventy-nine percent of female patients compared with 86% of male patients presented with left-sided tumors. Fifty-five percent of males presented with late stage disease compared with 68% of females (P = 0.27). Female sex seemed to adversely affect the prognosis, although this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.08). Stage of disease was associated with worse prognosis and this was independent of sex. Age and hemoglobin were not independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSION: Colorectal cancer does occur in females of childbearing age who might have a tendency to present with late stage disease as evidence from this study. Young female patients with anemia should be questioned about gastrointestinal symptoms, and colorectal cancer should definitely be in the differential diagnoses. This might conceivably allow for earlier diagnosis and potential for cure in this patient group.     

Colorectal polyps and the risk of subsequent carcinoma

Of 323 patients with colorectal polyps that either were larger than 1 cm in diameter or were 1 cm or smaller but had been subjected to biopsy or excision, 20 (6%) had subsequent development of a colorectal carcinoma, an incidence rate of 4.6 per 1,000 person-years of follow-up. These 20 cases of cancer compared with 7.38 cases expected; thus, the risk of colorectal carcinoma in these patients was 2.7 times that in the general population (P less than 0.001). Although risks were greater for certain subgroups of patients, the differences detected were usually modest. We conclude that patients with large colorectal polyps (more than 1 cm in diameter) should be closely followed up after treatment of the initial polyp, regardless of the size, site, or histologic type of the polyp, the age or sex of the patient, or the type of initial treatment (excision or fulguration). Those patients with more than one polyp, especially if more than one segment of the colon is involved, need special attention. Examination of the entire colon is important because the site of development of carcinoma may be distant from the site of the initial polyp.     

Colorectal intussusception secondary to sigmoid carcinoma in an adult

Although intussusception is relatively common in children, it is clinically rare in adults A 54-year-old woman who presented with cramping abdominal pain and rectal bleeding was found to have sigmoid rectal intussusception secondary to adenomatous polyps of the sigmoid colon. Following confirmation of intussusception by CT scan, surgical resection was performed after manual reduction.     

Colorectal carcinoma: Etiology, diagnosis, and screening

Colorectal carcinoma is a leading cause of death in the United States. Risk factors include genetic predisposition, diet, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease. Early detection and chemoprevention can lead to a lower death rate. Future developments will include sensitive and specific large-scale screening.     

Colorectal carcinoma: causes, diagnosis, and prevention

Colorectal carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. The risk for colon carcinoma increases after the age of 40 years. Because there is a very significant familial incidence of colorectal carcinoma, this is a major group of individuals who should be screened. The vast majority of colorectal carcinomas are associated with adenomatous polyps of the large intestine. Colonoscopy is the best procedure available to evaluate those at risk; the double-contrast barium enema and flexible sigmoidoscopy also play a significant role in diagnosis. Screening for occult blood in the stool is presently the best tool to evaluate groups for potential colorectal lesions. Although there are still significant problems with occult blood testing, it can account for a definite decrease in morbidity and mortality from colorectal carcinoma.     

大肠癌多层螺旋CT诊断与临床病理分期的对照研究

目的:评估充气大肠螺旋CT扫描(AESCT)对大肠癌术前分期的诊断价值。方法:对45例经内窥镜活检证实的大肠癌病人,术前经肠道准备后行螺旋CT扫描,并进行术前Duke分期,然后与手术病理分期对照。结果:AESCT显示大肠癌的敏感性达100%;对大肠癌Duke分期的准确率为80%(36/45),较普通CT扫描50%的准确率有明显提高。结论:AESCT扫描对大肠癌的术前分期很有价值,尤其对判断局部浸润和远处转移的情况更为准确,是评估大肠癌术前分期的很有价值的方法。     

结直肠癌螺旋CT灌注成像与肿瘤血管生成的相关性

目的探讨结、直肠癌螺旋CT(SCT)灌注成像与其血管生成的相关性。方法对30例结、直肠癌患者进行SCT单层动态增强扫描,绘制所选层面的癌灶、靶动脉的感兴趣区的时间-密度曲线(TDC)。根据TDC计算癌灶的血流灌注量(PF)。测定癌组织的微血管密度(MVD)和血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)的表达。将结、直肠癌的PF与MVD、VEGF的表达进行比较,且三者亦分别与临床病理因素(Dukes分期、浆膜浸润及淋巴结转移)进行比较。结果结、直肠癌的PF随着病理分期期别的升高有下降趋势,与MVD的趋势一致。VEGF的表达阳性率为87%(26/30)。PF与MVD、VEGF的表达之间均无显著相关性(r分别为0.16,0.19,P值均>0.05)。MVD与VEGF间也无显著相关性(r=-0.03,P>0.05);PF、MVD及VEGF在Dukes分期、浆膜浸润、淋巴结转移比较中差异均无统计学意义。结论SCT灌注成像与MVD、VEGF均能反映结、直肠癌的血管生成状况,但它们之间无明显相关性。     

Colorectal carcinoma in young patients: CT detection of an atypical pattern of recurrence

Colonic adenocarcinoma is an uncommon but aggressive neoplasm in patients under the age of 40. The goals of this study were to evaluate the utility of computed tomography (CT) in preoperative staging and detection of postoperative recurrences in young patients with colon cancer and to evaluate the pattern of recurrent disease. We reviewed 51 cases of adenocarcinoma in patients aged 40 years and younger. CT preoperatively staged 21 (72%) of 29 patients correctly and had a 100% positive predictive value for metastatic disease. Recurrent disease occurred in 23 (76%) of 30 nonstage D patients with at least 2 years of disease-free followup. CT accurately detected 21 (91%) of 23 cases of recurrent disease. Local recurrences were detected in 20 (87%) of 23 patients. Isolated local disease was the most frequent pattern of recurrence, seen in 17 (74%) of 23 patients. Hepatic metastases were rare and occurred in nine (13%) of 51 patients. Young patients with colon cancer have an increased prevalence of isolated local recurrences and decreased rate of hepatic metastases than the older population. In order to detect early, and therefore resectable recurrent disease, CT examinations should be obtained early and often in the postoperative period.The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Department of the Army of the Department of Defense.     

Colorectal cancer

Cancers of the colon and rectum will affect 1 in 17 North Americans during their lifetime. The progress witnessed in the treatment of these cancers in recent years has been remarkable. Improvements have been realized in surgical technique, radiation therapy, and systemic therapies, particularly with the addition of oxaliplatin and irinotecan to the previously limited armamentarium of fluorouracil alone. Targeted therapies directed at the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway and the epidermal growth factor pathway are now key players in the treatment of colorectal cancer. With current-day therapies, more than 75% of patients with localized disease are recurrence free at 3 years, and up to 50% of patients with advanced unresectable disease are alive at 2 years. This review focuses on the evidence supporting the current role of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the adjuvant management of colorectal cancers and the strategy of combining chemotherapy and biological therapy in the treatment of metastatic disease.