OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this paper were: 1) to determine the relative frequency of colorectal cancer in the young, and 2) to compare the clinical features of young patients with colorectal cancer to those patients in the older age group.

METHODS: A total of 322 colorectal cancer patients (136 colon, 186 rectum) seen and treated by our section from 1995 to 1999 were reviewed.

RESULTS: In the five-year period, 32 colon cancer patients (24 percent) and 41 rectal cancer patients (22 percent) were less than 40 years old. The overall frequency of young patients with colorectal cancer was 23 percent. For colon cancer, there was a predominance of right-sided lesions in young patients (69 percent versus 31 percent in the older group). Both groups of patients had advanced disease (chi square, p=0.38). Aggressive histology of cancers was seen in 63 percent of the younger patients and 24 percent of the older patients (chi square, p=0.007). Most of the rectal cancers seen in both groups were distal third lesions (90 percent in young patients and 86 percent in older patients). Both groups of patients presented with advanced disease at the time of surgery (chi square p=0.71). Pathologic examination showed an aggressive tumor type in 30 percent of the young patients and 25 percent in the older group (chi square p=0.72).

CONCLUSION: The clinical features that we observed in young colorectal cancer patients were similar to those of earlier reports.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Rectum ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Rectal Neoplasms

Recent evidence has shown that a five-centimeter distal margin is not required for cancers of the rectum. These findings proved significant in that selected patients with low rectal lesions can be offered curative operations that can preserve normal sphincter function, an intact route of defecation, and have a better quality of life. From August 2000 to July 2001, we began our series of examining specimens after rectal resection to determine the negative distal margin. The specimens for pathologic examination were cut at 0.5 cm intervals up to 2.0 cm from the raised distal edge of the tumor. The objective of this paper is to determine the distance of intramural tumor spread of rectal cancer from the macroscopic tumor edge. During the one-year period, a total of 11 specimens from rectal cancer patients were examined, ages of the patients ranged from 29 to 77 years. Eighty-two percent of patients had locally advanced (T3 and T4) lesions. Lymph node involvement was seen in 72 percent. Analysis of distal margins showed the following: five of 11 (45 percent) were positive for malignant cells at 0.5 cm from the tumor edge, four of 11 (36 percent) positive at 1.0 cm, one of 11 (nine percent) positive at 1.5 cm, and no malignant cells were seen at 2.0 cm distal margin. Our early results support the adequacy of a 2 cm distal resection margin for rectal cancer surgery. (Author)

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Rectum ; Margins Of Excision ; Defecation ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Patient Selection ; Lymph Nodes

Objectives: The highly polymorphic nature of the CYP2D6 gene and its central role in the metabolism of commonly used drugs make it an ideal candidate for pharmacogenetic screening. This study aims to determine the prevalence of CYP2D6 polymorphisms among Filipinos and their association to lung cancer. Method: Forty seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CYP2D6 gene were genotyped from DNA samples of 115 cases with lung cancer and age- and sex-matched 115 controls. Results: Results show that 18 out of 47 polymorphisms have significant genotypic variability (>1% for at least 2 genotypes). No variant is associated with lung cancer. However, rs1135840, rs16947 and rs28360521, were found to be highly variable among Filipinos. Conclusion This study demonstrated that CYP2D6 polymorphisms are present among Filipinos, which, although not found to be associated with lung cancer, can be useful biomarkers for future pharmacogenetic studies. The SNP rs16947 is found to be associated with cancer and timolol-induced bradycardia; the SNP rs1135840, on the other hand, is only shown to be linked with cancer. The genetic variant rs28360521 is known to be associated with low-dose aspirin-induced lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
Pharmacogenetics ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 ; Lung Neoplasms ; Biomarkers

Objectives. Polymorphisms in metabolic genes which alter rates of bioactivation and detoxification have been shown to modulate susceptibility to colorectal cancer. This study sought to evaluate the colorectal cancer risk from environmental factors and to do polymorphism studies on genes that code for Phase I and II xenobiotic metabolic enzymes among Filipino colorectal cancer patients and matched controls. Methods. A total of 224 colorectal cancer cases and 276 controls from the Filipino population were genotyped for selected polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTT1, NAT1 and NAT2. Medical and diet histories, occupational exposure and demographic data were also collected for all subject participants.Results. Univariate logistic regression of non-genetic factors identified exposure to UV (sunlight) (OR 1.99, 95% CI: 1.16-3.39) and wood dust (OR 2.66, 95% CI: 1.21-5.83) and moldy food exposure (OR 1.61, 95% CI:1.11-2.35) as risk factors; while the NAT2*6B allele (recessive model OR 1.51, 95% CI :1.06-2.16; dominant model OR 1.87, 95% CI: 1.05-3.33) and homozygous genotype (OR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.19-4.03) were found to be significant among the genetic factors. After multivariate logistic regression of both environmental and genetic factors, only UV radiation exposure (OR 2.08, 95% CI: 1.21-3.58) and wood dust exposure (OR 2.08, 95% CI: 0.95-5.30) remained to be significantly associated with increasing colorectal cancer risk in the study population.Conclusion. This study demonstrated that UV sunlight and wood dust exposure play a greater role in influencing colorectal cancer susceptibility than genotype status from genetic polymorphisms of the GST and the NAT` genes.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Polymorphism, Genetic