Colorectal cancer in patients aged less than 40 years

Colorectal cancer is commonly found in adults aged greater than 50 years. The peak frequency occurs in the 6th to 7th decades and gradually declines in the 8th decade. This cancer is very unusual in young adults, the occurrence ranging from 1 to 17 percent of all cases of colon cancer. The prognosis for this disease in the young adult is reported to be unfavorable. This may be due to delayed diagnoses and a higher frequency of mucin-producing tumors and advanced stage of the disease. This article presents a case report and review of the literature and alerts the primary care physician to the possibility of serious disease in young adults who may present with protracted abdominal symptoms. Age should not be a barrier in the application of diagnostic tools. The duration and degree of symptoms should prompt early investigation.