[Rectocolonic cancers in young patients. A population study (Côte-d'Or: 1976-1983].

Between 1976 and 1983, 1,783 colorectal cancers were diagnosed among the Cote-d'Or residents; of these 44 (2.5 p. 100) were under age 45. Cancer developed more often on familial polyposis (11.4 p. 100), ulcerative colitis (2.3 p. 100) or in the Lynch cancer family syndrome (4.6 p. 100) before 45 than in older patients: 0.2 p. 100 (p less than 0.01), 0.2 p. 100 (NS) and 0 p. 100 (p less than 0.01) respectively. There was no significant difference between young and older patients concerning the site, the histologic type or the stage of diagnosis. Curative resection rates were similar before age 45 (68.2 p. 100) as after that age (61.8 p. 100). Operative mortality was lower in younger (3.3 p. 100) than in older patients (12.6 p. 100; NS). After surgery for cure (operative mortality excluded) the 5-year corrected survival rates were similar in the two age groups: 69.4 +/- 8.8 p. 100 and 64.0 +/- 1.8 p. 100 respectively (NS). These data suggest that with the exception of predisposing diseases there is no important difference between young and older patients with regard to the anatomoclinical and evolutive aspects of colorectal cancers.