biostudies-literatureCercek APrecision, Interception and Prevention Program at MSKRomeo Milio Lynch Syndrome FoundationCancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation administered by the American Association for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer InstituteNCI NIH HHSStand Up to Cancer Colorectal Cancer Dream Team Translational ResearchNational Institutes of HealthNIGMS NIH HHSNIH HHSMarie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology1683-1692https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8634406biostudies-literatureUnknown113(12)<h4>Background</h4>The causative factors for the recent increase in early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) incidence are unknown. We sought to determine if early-onset disease is clinically or genomically distinct from average-onset colorectal cancer (AO-CRC).<h4>Methods</h4>Clinical, histopathologic, and genomic characteristics of EO-CRC patients (2014-2019), divided into age 35 years and younger and 36-49 years at diagnosis, were compared with AO-CRC (50 years and older). Patients with mismatch repair deficient tumors, CRC-related hereditary syndromes, and inflammatory bowel disease were excluded from all but the germline analysis. All statistical tests were 2-sided.<h4>Results</h4>In total, 759 patients with EO-CRC (35 years, n = 151; 36-49 years, n = 608) and AO-CRC (n = 687) were inclJournal of the National Cancer InstituteA Comprehensive Comparison of Early-Onset and Average-Onset Colorectal Cancers.PMC8634406R25 CA233208SU2C-AACR-DT22-17P30 CA008748K08 CA230213T32 GM132083T32 GM132083; R25 CA233208Bandlamudi CZhang LMarkowitz ABirsoy OOffit KRobson MSolit DJoseph VVarghese AReidy-Lagunes DYaeger RGalle JGuillem JDiaz LACercek ASmith JJMaio ASchultz NSegal NSrinivasan PTaylor BKemeny NGanesh KMendelsohn RStadler ZKMandelker DBelanfanti KAguilar JGLumish MANash GWalch HFernandes GDSTejada PRPaty PBKemel YSteinruecke FSalo-Mullen EBerger MMondaca SConnell LSaltz LBVakiani EChatila WKShia JKrishnan AWeiser MPalmaira LfalseA Comprehensive Comparison of Early-Onset and Average-Onset Colorectal Cancers.<h4>Background</h4>The causative factors for the recent increase in early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) incidence are unknown. We sought to determine if early-onset disease is clinically or genomically distinct from average-onset colorectal cancer (AO-CRC).<h4>Methods</h4>Clinical, histopathologic, and genomic characteristics of EO-CRC patients (2014-2019), divided into age 35 years and younger and 36-49 years at diagnosis, were compared with AO-CRC (50 years and older). Patients with mismatch repair deficient tumors, CRC-related hereditary syndromes, and inflammatory bowel disease were excluded from all but the germline analysis. All statistical tests were 2-sided.<h4>Results</h4>In total, 759 patients with EO-CRC (35 years, n = 151; 36-49 years, n = 608) and AO-CRC (n = 687) were incl2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Nov2026-05-09T03:11:33.68Z2025-04-19T23:12:49.623ZS-EPMC86344063440522910.1093/jnci/djab124