Colorectal carcinoma in children.

An increasing incidence of colorectal carcinoma has been noted at this institution. We report seven children with colorectal carcinoma. The average delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 41/2 months, and in five patients distant metastases were present at the first operation. Initial symptoms were ignored in all cases and in only one was the serious nature of the condition realized at first presentation. In five lesions the histology was mucin secreting adenocarcinoma, a poor prognostic variant. All seven died on average 11 months after diagnosis. These three factors--delay in diagnosis, advanced stage of disease, and poorly differentiated histology--contribute overall to a poor prognosis in the young.