Carcinoma of the colon in childhood; report of 2 cases expressing p53 without K-ras mutation

Colorectal carcinoma in the first decade of life: a systematic review

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to better understand the main aspects related to colorectal carcinoma diagnosed in the first 10 years of life, through a systematic review.

METHODS

We carried out a bibliographic search in PubMed and LILACS, focusing on identifying publications or case reports about colorectal carcinoma in the first 10 years of life. The bibliographical analysis was made in two steps. During the first phase, we excluded those articles whose titles or abstracts did not correspond with the objective settled. Publications without abstract were also included in this phase. During the second phase, we look at the articles and evaluated their content, selecting the cases with colorectal cancer under 10 years old.

RESULTS

From 3880 publications, 132 were selected in the first phase and 84 were evaluated in the second phase. Based on these conditions, 33 articles have cases presented which 4 articles were case reviews and 29 were case reports. Duplicated cases were excluded from the analysis. Fifty-nine cases were described in English and Latin literature. There is an apparent similar proportion between the sexes, and the mean age was 8.6 years old. The main localization was the rectum and sigmoid (45.8 %). Pathologic findings showed that 86.4 % were adenocarcinoma. These tumors are frequently advanced at diagnosis. The Kaplan-Meier 60-month overall survival was 15.3 %. Dukes classification represents a factor related to survival (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

In children, colorectal carcinoma presents distinctive characteristics, which determines poor survival.

Distinct features of colorectal cancer in children and adolescents: a population-based study of 159 cases

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is exceedingly rare in children and adolescents. Reports from small series indicate that poor prognostic factors are more common in children than in adults, resulting in worse outcome for the pediatric population.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was searched for records of children/adolescents with colorectal cancer, and the features and outcomes were compared with those of adults.

RESULTS

From January 1973 through December 2005, only 159 children/adolescents (ages 4-20 years) were reported with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer. The most common sites of involvement were the rectum (27%) and the transverse colon (26%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histotype in both adults and pediatric patients; however, children/adolescents had more unfavorable histotypes (ie, mucinous adenocarcinoma [22%] and signet ring cell carcinoma [18%]) when compared with adults (10% and 1%, respectively; P < .001). Poorly differentiated and undifferentiated tumors (grades III and IV, respectively) and distant stage were more common in children/adolescents (P < .001). The 5-year relative survival estimates in children/adolescents and adults were 40% +/- 4.2% and 60% +/- 0.10%, respectively, confirming a worse outcome in the pediatric age group (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Children/adolescents represent a minority of patients with colorectal cancer and have high-risk features and worse outcome than adults. The small number of patients in this age group was an impediment to the development of meaningful clinical trials. Thus, the principles of management for adult colorectal cancer should be used in the treatment of children and adolescents.

Colorectal carcinoma in children and adolescents: the experience of the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan, Italy

BACKGROUND

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common tumors in adults, but extremely rare in young age. This study retrospectively reports on a group of 27 patients <30 years of age, and particularly on 7 cases <18 years old, treated at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy, between 1985 and 2005.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Among the children/adolescents (age 9-18, median 12 years), 5/7 had unfavorable CRC histotypes (poorly differentiated or mucinous adenocarcinoma) and all but one had advanced disease at onset. Initial surgical resection was complete in 5/7 cases, and all patients received postoperative chemotherapy.

RESULTS

In the subset of patients <18 years, 6/7 had tumor progression or relapse, and 5 died of their tumor: overall survival (OS) was 23% at 5 years. In the group of 19- to 29-year-olds (young adults), 5-year OS was 72.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms the rarity and poor prognosis of CRC in children and adolescents: advanced stage and an aggressive biology are hallmarks of this tumor in pediatric age, while clinical findings and outcome in young adults seem more similar to those observed in adult series. Therapeutic recommendations should stay the same as for adults. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment and early diagnosis is crucial: it is important for pediatricians to be aware that CRC does occur in children, in order to refer suspected cases to expert physicians professionally dedicated to the management of this cancer in adults.

Advanced sigmoid carcinoma colon

A 13-year-old female child diagnosed initially as having tuberculosis was subsequently found to have adenocarcinoma colon with secondaries in ovaries and omentum, and proved to be mucinous carcinoma on biopsy. Patient received chemotherapy (FAM) regimen without any relief even 2 months after surgery.